Starbucks Doubles Fair Trade Coffee Purchases

Victory of the Week:

Coffee BeansFor the past eight years, the OCA has mobilized tens of thousands of people around the world to pressure Starbucks, the largest purveyor of coffee in the world, to get rid of rBGH-tainted milk and substantially increase its sales of organic and Fair Trade coffee. In early 2008, Starbucks announced it would no longer source milk from dairies injecting their cows with Monsanto’s genetically engineered hormone, rBGH. Adding to this victory, last week, the company announced it would be doubling its purchases of certified Fair Trade coffee to 40 million pounds in 2009. This is a major victory for OCA and our allies, as well as coffee farmers and consumers around the world. “This commitment from Starbucks could not have come at a better time for coffee farmers as they face the threat of climate change, higher prices and brace themselves for a global slowdown,” said Rob Cameron, CEO of the Fairtrade Labeling Organization International.
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