Buffalo, New York

Green Party, Organic group hold protests at Starbucks shops in area
By SHARON LINSTEDT
News Business Reporter 3/21/01

Local members of the Organic Consumers Association and the University at Buffalo Green Party on Tuesday called on the Starbucks Coffee chain to remove genetically-engineered and chemically-altered products from its menu. The groups staged a protest outside the Starbucks located on the UB South campus, as well as leafleting customers of Starbucks cafes at University Plaza in Amherst, and 235 Delaware Ave. downtown.

The local protests, which drew about 40 participants, were part of a 100-city protest targeting the huge, Seattle-based coffee company. Sheila Decker, organizer of the local protest, said the nationwide events were aimed at raising awareness about Starbucks' food policies. "They regularly serve milk products which contain Bovine Growth Hormone, and their baked goods are made with genetically-engineered ingredients," Decker said. While she acknowledged that the vast majority of dairy products and other food items sold in the U.S. fall into the category of genetically- or chemically-altered, Decker said Starbucks have proven it can stock pure food stuffs. "The difference is Starbucks doesn't do this in Europe where they are held to a higher standard. If they can do it elsewhere, they can do it here," she said. "Our goal is to make customers aware of the situation and demand better."

The groups also called on the world's largest coffee chain to incorporate so-called Fair Trade policies into its coffee buying and production practices. Under Fair Trade, emphasis is placed on shade-grown, organic coffee and improved working conditions and wages for farm workers on plantations in Guatemala, Mexico and other coffee producing countries. Buffalo area Starbucks representatives declined to comment on the protest, which were timed to coincide with Starbucks annual shareholders meeting in Seattle. At that session, the ubiquitous coffee retailer announced Tuesday a two-for-one stock split of its shares effective April 27. The split is the corporation's fourth since going public in 1992. Starbucks has more than 4,000 retail locations in North America, Europe, the Pacific Rim and the Middle East. In addition to its coffee and tea products, Starbucks produces and sells the bottled Frappuccino coffee drink and a line of premium ice creams through joint venture partnerships.