"Starbucks sued for allegedly using coffee from farms with rights abuses while touting its ‘ethical’ sourcing", 10 January 2024

...A consumer advocacy group is suing Starbucks...

The case, filed in a Washington, D.C., court on Wednesday on behalf of American consumers, alleges that the coffee giant is misleading the public by widely marketing its “100% ethical” sourcing commitment on its coffee and tea products, when it knowingly sources from suppliers with “documented, severe human rights and labor abuses”...

The lawsuit cites reporting about human rights and labor abuses on specific coffee and tea farms in Guatemala, Kenya and Brazil, and alleges that Starbucks has continued to purchase from these suppliers in spite of the documented violations.

"We are aware of the lawsuit, and plan to aggressively defend against the asserted claims that Starbucks has misrepresented its ethical sourcing commitments to customers," said a spokesperson for Starbucks.

In an earlier statement they said, “We take allegations like these extremely seriously and are actively engaged with farms to ensure they adhere to our standards. Each supply chain is required to undergo reverification regularly and we remain committed to working with our business partners to meet the expectations detailed in our Global Human Rights Statement."

In Brazil, labor officials have cracked down on several reported Starbucks suppliers over abusive and unsafe labor practices in recent years...

In response to the Reporter Brasil stories and reported labor abuses in Kenya and Guatemala cited in the lawsuit, Starbucks issued statements at the time that the company was “deeply concerned,” and that it would “thoroughly investigate” claims of labor violations, “take immediate action” to suspend purchases or “ensure corrective action” occurred.

Starbucks told NBC News it has since taken corrective action in both Guatemala and Kenya...