Starbucks hit with lawsuit over false ‘ethical’ claims

Among the evidence put forward against Starbucks is a 2022 case from Brazil where police rescued 17 workers, including three teenagers, from a coffee farm. The laborers were allegedly subjected to working outdoors without protective equipment and forced to lift 130-pound sacks of coffee.

This incident was brought to light by Repórter Brasil, a group of investigative journalists focusing on workers’ rights and environmental issues in the country.

In its report, it also claimed that Starbucks-supplying farms deduct the cost of harvesting equipment out of workers’ wages, do not provide clean drinking water or proper toilets, and employ underage workers.

On Wednesday, Starbucks claimed it had no knowledge about the findings of the journalists or the conditions asserted by them. In a statement, the company said: ‘We take allegations like these extremely seriously and are actively engaged with farms to ensure they adhere to our standards.’

Also included in the lawsuit is a 2023 report which exposed sexual abuse and harsh working conditions on the James Finlay tea plantation in Kenya, which was – at the time – a supplier to Starbucks.

Responding to the latest use of that evidence, Starbucks simply stated it no longer purchases tea from that plantation.

Of course, Starbucks is a major player in the coffee industry, buying three percent of the world’s coffee supply and engaging with 400,000 farmers in over 30 countries.

With such an immense market presence, The National Consumers League argues that the company’s certification program must be improved, as it currently falls short of guaranteeing ethical sourcing.

Starbucks implemented its ethical sourcing guidelines in 2004. To do so, it has employed third-party verification of conditions at its suppliers. The company claims zero tolerance for child labour and mandates a safe, fair, and humane working environment for farmers.

Still, the National Consumers League argues that Starbucks is misleading consumers by failing to disclose the limitations of its third-party certification program – limitations which can’t guarantee that its products are ‘100 percent ethical’.

Thankfully, the lawsuit it will seek to halt what it says are deceptive tactics and demand that the company adequately update its packaging and advertising practices – because who isn’t sick of all the lies told by big corporations?