Is there any group Starbucks hasn't upset?

[sten_super]

that's a separate issue. you know what the company has done. you either condone it (keep buying), or don't. simple.

Do you shop at Tescos? Or M&S? Or any large chain of shops? Practically all take advantage of their market position to exploit people. Tescos are now coming under fire for the low prices they are offering to producers. All supermarkets aggressively set prices in some stores to drive local businesses out. Until around 12/18 months ago M&S forced all of it's food suppliers to build seperate factories to produce only M&S goods, or threatened to withdraw their business, forcing extra costs on producers. Do you boycott all of these stores?

So at what point does a chain become morally reprehensible, and at what stage are they acceptable?

 

[tedebear]

that's a separate issue. you know what the company has done. you either condone it (keep buying), or don't. simple.

The company hasn't done it though - they've backtracked on their objections and are operating under a temporary agreement whilst they work it out with the Ethiopian Government. Surely thats not reason to stop buying the coffee? 2% of Starbucks beans come from Ethiopia...

 

[hans kraay fan club]

. Surely thats not reason to stop buying the coffee? 2% of Starbucks beans come from Ethiopia...

Seems fair enough tede. Buy it, drink it, but just leave a little bit in the very bottom of the cup [about say, 2%] on 'ethical grounds'.

 

[tedebear]

Seems fair enough tede. Buy it, drink it, but just leave a little bit in the very bottom of the cup [about say, 2%] on 'ethical grounds'.

He he

I'm not saying starbucks are saints - never have and never will, but they do give back something which is better than nothing in the case of some large retailers...

The coffee trade is qute interesting worldwide and this "Starbucks issue" is just a small sniff of the espresso to be honest...

 

[Springal]

do enjoy a good peppermint mocha

 

[Buzzer]

Don't like Starbucks as they leave the teabag in the cup. Yuck!!

I don't drink coffee. 10 cups of Earl Grey a day man and I cannot abide being served a cup of tea with the teabag still in the cup.

Don't have strong views on their ethical policy or whatever though. Let's face it - if that shop wasn't a Starbucks it would be a Poundland or something more horrendous.

And it does keep lovely East European ladies in employment. (just don't tell Alex Dawson oo oo I said that. I migt be up for promotion).

 

[Nibble]

Starbucks is shit.

 

[beorhthelm]

Do you shop at Tescos? Or M&S? Or any large chain of shops?

apparently TiD does not. And he uses a computer made from Honey wax, recycled components and powered by a windmill on the roof.

funny thing ethics, these days its virtually impossible to live genuinely ethically. depending on your ethics of course, pick some, leave others.

 

[Tesco in Disguise]

funny thing ethics, these days its virtually impossible to live genuinely ethically. depending on your ethics of course, pick some, leave others.

true. i'm pretty sure that most people wouldn't find their existence futile, however, if they chose to buy their coffee from elsewhere.

 

[severnside gull]

the best tasting high street coffee in the USA is Dunkin Donuts anyway

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Regardless of the rights and wrongs of Starbucks as a company (for the record I think their coffee tastes OK but is too expensive so I don't buy it), you shouldn't believe everything on the interweb.

http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/pressdesc.asp?id=684&rumor=true

January 11, 2005 (updated December 2006)
Rumor Response: Misinformation About Starbucks and the United States Military

You may have heard a rumor concerning Starbucks lack of military personnel support. This is not true. In 2004, we replied to an e-mail circulating on the internet that contained misinformation about the Company. Starbucks contacted its author, a Marine Sergeant, who subsequently sent an e-mail to his original distribution list correcting his mistake, the text of which is:

“Dear Readers,

Almost 5 months ago I sent an e-mail to you my faithful friends. I did a wrong thing that needs to be cleared up. I heard by word of mouth about how Starbucks said they didn’t support the war and all. I was having enough of that kind of talk and didn’t do my research properly like I should have. This is not true. Starbucks supports men and women in uniform. They have personally contacted me and I have been sent many copies of their company’s policy on this issue. So I apologize for this quick and wrong letter that I sent out to you.

Now I ask that you all pass this email around to everyone you passed the last one to.

Thank you very much for understanding about this.

Howard C. Wright
Sgt USMC
1st Force Rcon Co
1st Plt PLT RTO

dated: August 17, 2004”

Additionally confirmation that this is an inaccurate rumor can be found at:
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2004/n11092004_2004110908.html
http://www.boycottwatch.org/misc/starbucks2.htm
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/s/starbucks-iraq.htm
http://www.aMillionThanks.org
http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/starbucks.asp
http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org/HBUrbanMyths.shtml#starbucks
http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/rumor.asp

Starbucks, our customers, and our partners (employees) respect the efforts of the U.S. men and women who serve their country in the military. Starbucks and its partners (employees) have consistently demonstrated their support of military personnel in a number of ways.

A few examples of their generosity include:

Each week Starbucks partners (employees) receive one free pound of coffee. On an individual, grass roots level, many partners (employees) in the U. S. have collected their free coffee and shipped thousands of pounds of Starbucks coffee overseas.

Partners in our Atascadero, California store sent their personal weekly allotment of coffee to troops in Afghanistan so they would be able to enjoy a little taste of home.

Our customer relations department in Seattle donated hundreds of pounds of coffee to the sailors on the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier.

On Sept. 21, 2006, Starbucks was honored with the Freedom Award during a ceremony in Washington, D.C. The Freedom Award, the highest award bestowed by the Department of Defense in recognition of an employer, was created in 1996 by President Bill Clinton and Secretary of Defense William Perry to publicly recognize American employers who provide exceptional support to their employees who voluntarily serve the nation in the National Guard and Reserve.

Starbucks employs approximately 90 U.S. partners (employees) who serve in the military and are currently on active duty. In support of their efforts, Starbucks provides a supplement to make up the difference between their military pay and their pay level at Starbucks before they went on leave. The partner (employee) can continue health coverage, and family health coverage, if enrolled, for up to 18 months. Partners (employees) are guaranteed a position upon return from active duty, except in rare circumstances, as permitted under the Federal Military Leave Laws; additionally, tenure at Starbucks is also kept while on active duty.

To enhance our U.S. partners’ (employees) efforts in support of U.S. military troops, Starbucks is honored to extend our relationship with the American Red Cross in order to provide more coffee to relief efforts during times of conflict. On multiple occasions, Starbucks has donated a total of more than 100,000 lbs of coffee to the American Red Cross for distribution to those troops serving in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait.

Also

http://starbucks.co.uk/en-GB/_Socia...ponsibilities/Fairtrade™+Certified+Coffee.htm

Fairtrade™ Certified Coffee

Fairtrade and other 'Commitment to Origins' whole bean coffees are available for you to purchase in store and enjoy at home.

Fairtrade™ Certified coffee is one of the ways that Starbucks fulfils its commitment to origins.

Fairtrade™ Certified prices
In the Fairtrade™ certification system, importers, roasters and retailers purchase coffee at favourable guaranteed prices from farmers who are registered with the Fairtrade™ Labelling Organisations International.

To purchase Fairtrade™ Certified coffee, Starbucks pays a minimum of £0.75 ($1.26) per pound (£1.65 per kilo) for non-organic green arabica coffee and £0.84 ($1.41) per pound (£1.85 per kilo) for organic green arabica coffee.

For all of its coffee, Starbucks pays premium prices that are substantially over and above the prevailing commodity-grade coffee price. In financial year 2002, the commodity average price was £0.24-0.30 ($0.40-0.50) per pound. During that same time period, Starbucks paid an average verified price of £0.72 ($1.20) per pound, excluding freight, for green coffee purchased at outright prices.

Bringing Fairtrade™ Certified coffee to the world
Since forming an alliance with TransFair USA in April 2000, Starbucks has purchased nearly 900,000 kilos of Fairtrade™ Certified coffee, including 500,000 kilos in financial year 2002. Our purchases have increased steadily. Starbucks is licensed to sell Fair Trade Certified coffee in 17 countries, including Australia, Austria, Canada, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the U.K. and the U.S.

Working with Fairtrade™ farmers
In July 2002, Starbucks, the Ford Foundation and Oxfam America announced a pilot project in collaboration with a large Fair Trade co-op in Oaxaca, Mexico. The goals of the project are to increase the supply of high-quality Fairtrade™ Certified coffee and enable the 16,000 participating farmers to earn premium prices for their crops.

Starbucks and the Ford Foundation, a philanthropic organisation that works to reduce poverty and promote international cooperation, each contributed £75k ($125k) for the first year of the pilot project.

Oxfam America, an organisation dedicated to creating solutions to hunger, poverty and social injustice around the world, will work directly with farmers in the co-op on improvements to their post-harvest quality control techniques.

By providing farmers with tools to improve their skills, and thus the quality of their coffee, we hope to increase their opportunities for self-sufficiency and sustainability.

So they say........ although there is probably alot of spin in that.