Social activists in Central America accused Starbucks of abusing poor coffee farmers by paying them low prices for their coffee beans. In an attempt to protect its brand image, Starbucks developed guidelines to pay farmers a premium orice if thay met certain standards. In 2004, Starbucks paid on average $1.20 per pound ($2.64 kg) for high-quality coffee beans, or 74 percent higher than the commodity market's rice during that yar. However, some human-rights organizations say this doesn't address the underlying poverty that is "killing coffee farmers and their families." In general, activists aged farm groups who sell coffee beans to Starbucks to pay acceptable wages, avoid child labor, and provide acceptable living conditions. Thay also began initiatives to help provide farmers with access to credit at favorable tates. For example, the company committed $2.5 millon through Conservation International's Verde Ventures Fund to assist small-scale farmers in Latin America and Asia.