Starbucks is protesting its innocence once again, this time in response to accusations made in the 'fair trade film' Black Gold, which exposes the plight of farmers in Ethiopia, the 'birthplace of coffee'.
The chain has described the film's claims as 'inaccurate', denying that its workers are malnourished, barefoot, and completely
reliant on US food handouts while multinational coffee chains rack
up huge profits.
Pressure on the coffee giant and its rivals will mount further today when Tadesse Meskela, a spokesman for Ethiopia, meets Tony Blair to kickstart a campaign to get the East African country's farmers a better chance. At the moment, they're getting around $1.10 per pound of coffee, while retailers can sell the same amount for anything up to $160.
Perhaps tellingly, on Starbucks' own 'pressing news' section of its website, a link promisingly labelled "Starbucks' comment on Black Gold and our relationship with farmers" guides the reader to this mostly blank page. Don't tell us we didn't give them a fair trial!
From: BEST OF 2008: Eco-friendy and sustainable shoes