The lawsuit calls for the coffee chain to end its “unfair and deceptive” trade practices and argues that the company is aware of the child and forced labor on some of its supplier farms.
A consumer advocacy group is suing Starbucks, the world’s largest coffee brand, for false advertising, alleging that it sources coffee and tea from farms with human rights and labor abuses, while touting its commitment to ethical sourcing.
The case, filed in a Washington, D.C., court on Wednesday on behalf of American consumers, alleges that the coffee giant is misleading the public by widely marketing its “100% ethical” sourcing commitment on its coffee and tea products, when it knowingly sources from suppliers with “documented, severe human rights and labor abuses.”
“On every bag of coffee and box of K-cups that Starbucks sells, Starbucks is heralding its commitment to 100% ethical sourcing,” said Sally Greenberg, CEO of the National Consumers League, the legal advocacy group bringing the case. “But it’s pretty clear that there are significant human rights and labor abuses across Starbucks’ supply chain.”
I find it telling but all too sad that it’s okay to use unethical sourcing but it’s wrong to lie about it.
Aaaaaannnnnnnd they just made enough money to cover the fines.
Did anyone really believe starbuck was using ethical sourcing ?
The only way to prevent this is to stop drinking Starbucks. I know that sounds blasphemy for a lot of people because apparently they are required to drink it on a daily basis for some reason, but you actually have the choice to never consume it.
Is “ethical” even a protected word with a legal definition?
Or is their defense just going to be “we really believe this is ethical, and we are allowed to say what we believe”?
