A U.S. consumer advocacy group has filed a lawsuit
against Starbucks, alleging that the coffee chain falsely promotes its tea and
coffee as "ethically" sourced, while sourcing them from farms in
Kenya, Brazil, and Guatemala plagued by human rights abuses. The National
Consumers League claims that Starbucks acquires coffee beans and tea leaves
from cooperatives and farms involved in documented severe human rights and
labor violations, including child and forced labor, as well as extensive sexual
harassment and assault. Starbucks defends itself against these allegations,
asserting its commitment to addressing such concerns by actively engaging with
farms to ensure compliance with its standards.
The lawsuit by the National Consumers League, a
Washington, D.C.-based consumer group established in 1899, claims that
Starbucks made false statements, such as being "committed to 100% ethical
coffee sourcing" and "100% ethically sourced tea." The group
cites investigations by journalists and governments worldwide revealing abuses
at Starbucks suppliers. For instance, BBC reporters exposed sexual violence
against women at a tea plantation in Kenya, and Brazilian authorities made a
complaint against Starbucks' main Brazilian coffee supplier for conditions similar
to slavery.
According to the lawsuit, in 2020, the UK's Dispatches television program brought to light extensive child labor at Guatemalan coffee farms. Starbucks ended purchases from the plantation operator and farms in Kenya which were implicated in child labor in 2020. However, the lawsuit argues that Starbucks continued using suppliers even after uncovering abuses and certified them as ethical based on purported internal standards. The National Consumers League accuses Starbucks for violating the District of Columbia's consumer protection law and waiting for the court to order to stop what it claims is false advertising by Starbucks, along with unspecified money damages.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/legal/consumer-group-sues-starbucks-over-ethical-sourcing-claims-2024-01-10/
