Prominent Fair Trade Activists Address Starbucks Decision

by Zarah Patriana

Published November 18, 2008 @ 02:30PM PT

In October of 2000, Starbucks officially announced that they would finally carry Fair Trade Certified coffee. The announcement came after a campaign of thousands of activists across the country pressured Starbucks to bring Fair Trade to the mermaid. One of the main organizations behind that campaign was human rights organization, Global Exchange. Global Exchange approached CEO Howard Schultz, petitioned stockholders, organized people to send out faxes and letters to Starbucks demanding they make their coffee Fair Trade and planned scheduled demonstrations in front of Starbucks shops across the country. Starbucks finally gave into the pressure and the consumer demand through the grassroots organization of Global Exchange.

Since then, Global Exchange has continued their campaign to hold Starbucks accountable and have encouraged them to increase their Fair Trade Certified coffee purchases. I approached Global Exchange's Fair Trade Director (and my colleague) Adrienne Fitch-Frankel to see her thoughts on Starbucks' recent decision to double their Fair Trade Certified coffee purchases.

In 2000, activists nationwide dedicated to ending the cycle of poverty among coffee farming families persuaded Starbucks to start selling Fair Trade certified coffee, in a campaign organized by Global Exchange and supported by allies nationwide.  Since that time, Starbucks emerged as the leading purchaser of Fair Trade certified coffee in North America.

Starbucks’ announcement that it will double its purchasing makes it the leading purchaser of Fair Trade certified coffee in the world.  This volume of coffee purchases is significant for its impact on the lives of farmers around the world that are changing their lives, one coffee bean at a time.  It is also significant because Starbucks’ participation in the Fair Trade system started as a response to concerned consumers like you and me…consumers who knew we could make a difference.  Global Exchange commends Starbucks for maintaining and expanding its commitment to Fair Trade certification, the farmers that grow its coffee, and consumers that care deeply about the social and environmental conditions for small farmers that grow the coffee they enjoy.

Global Exchange also calls on Starbucks to continue the forward momentum to increase its Fair Trade purchases.  Additional concrete steps Starbucks can take include (1) brewing Fair Trade coffee in its stores at least once a week (2) supporting the expansion of Fair Trade into more farming communities and (3) sourcing exclusively Fair Trade certified cocoa for all its products with cocoa as an ingredient.  Starbucks currently uses Fair Trade certified cocoa for its stores in Britain and we urge Starbucks to make the same change for its stores in the United States and around the world.

While we appreciate the volume that Starbucks brings to the table, we also want to acknowledge companies like Equal Exchange, Deans Beans, Divine, Alter Eco, and Ithaca Fine Chocolates that purchase 100% Fair Trade ingredients for their products.  These companies set the standard for best practices and we urge consumers to reward their unequivocal commitment to supporting farmers through 100% Fair Trade certified purchasing.  You can find these brands in your local store or online at http://www.globalexchangestore.org.

[image credit Jasmin Chua, at www.worstedwitch.com]