Thursday, June 14, 2001
Starbucks Full of Beans in NYT Advertisement

Coffee giant Starbucks is being targeted by the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) for selling genetically engineered products and failing to seriously address the economic injustices and ecological damages of industrial coffee production. Starbucks has fired back with a New York Times advertisement saying it is "proud to partner with TransFair USA," a major promoter of fair trade coffee. The Starbucks NYT ad carries the slogan "Fair Trade - bringing us a little closer, making lives a little better." However, OCA director Ronnie Cummins in a letter just two days earlier to Starbucks CEO Orin Smith pointed out that: "Your so-called 'enormous commitment' to ... buying Fair Trade coffee ... amounts to a grand total of one tenth of one percent of your company's total coffee purchases. ... (this) does not constitute an honest good faith effort to sell and promote Fair Trade coffee." Source: NY Times ad 6/14/01