In January 2024, it was reported that US consumer protection group the National Consumers League had filed a lawsuit against Starbucks for allegedly misleading claims about the sourcing of its tea and coffee. The group said Starbucks claimed it was "committed to 100% ethical coffee sourcing" and to "100% ethically sourced tea", while sourcing from farms plagued by human rights abuses in Kenya, Brazil and Guatemala. The abuses documented on plantations linked to Starbucks include child labour, forced labour, and sexual violence.

The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre sought a response form Starbucks to these allegations - the response is included below.