Comments on: Starbucks Challenge 3.0: Demand an answer!

By: Eddie

Eddie — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 14:52:46 +0000

I was at University of Maryland for Powershift and we ordered a cup of fair trade coffee, the cashier started to say no, but then the manager stepped over and said it would take a few minutes to brew but we could definitely have one. So a success.

By: Siel

Siel — Sun, 25 Jun 2006 15:43:57 +0000

I still think 3rd party cert’s important — Think about organic certification, for ex. Without it, you’d really have to become a guerilla investigator to find out if your veggies had been sprayed with noxious chemicals. Of course, organic certification doesn’t make all ag-related probs go away — It’s not a panacea. But it’s a part of the solution — it makes sure at least some minimum standards have been met. I see fair trade certification similarly. No, it’s not going to solve all labor-related problems. But it does take a step toward addressing them — and communicates that to the consumer –

By: Danni

Danni — Sat, 24 Jun 2006 21:33:54 +0000

thanks for the links…but…65% of employees are eligible for full benefits after two months…that’s pretty darn good, considering that this is coffee…. not rocket science. I really enjoyed geoff’s comments on why he didn’t go fair trade…anytime you have another agency involved in the buying relationship you are taking resources away from the growers…it’s a shame that certain companies would take advantage of low coffee prices..I still believe that pressuring companies to have responsibility is the right way to go… check out elfaroestates.com if you want to find out how starbucks works with their growers..

By: Siel

Siel — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 18:38:58 +0000

Hey Danni -- I made an oopsie with the link. Here's the link to the post, and here's one to .the Wall Street Journal article that cites the stats. I'm only a coffee buyer in the sense that I'm a consumer -- I don't buy it directly from farmers. However, many of the readers and commenters here are direct coffee buyers, and even those who disagree with some elements of the fair trade certification programs don't say that it's "nothing more than a kickback." You might find Geoff of Intelligentsia Coffee's comments interesting --

By: Danni

Danni — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 17:29:28 +0000

Where is there anything anywhere that says that a fewer percentage of starbucks employees are covered by their benefits programs than at Walmart? I can’t find it…If you can work twenty hours a week at Starbucks, you’re eligible for full benefits, as well as benefits for your family, or your gay partner, if you so choose…As far as the fair trade issue goes…are any of you coffee buyers? In the countries where the bulk of coffee is grown the governments are corrupt and fair trade certification is nothing more than a kickback that is ultimately useless to the farmers and their communities… some people will believe anything that they read, though…