OCA & Global Exchange Protest at Starbucks Shareholders Meeting in Seattle

3/29/2004

Join Global Exchange, Organic Consumers Association, and Community Alliance for Global Justice to hold Starbucks accountable to coffee producers and consumers at the Starbucks Shareholder Meeting

WHEN: Tuesday, March 30, 8:30am

WHERE: Outside of Marion Oliver McCaw Hall in Seattle Center, on Mercer Street between Third and Fourth Avenues, Seattle.

WHAT: Educate the public and shareholders about Starbucks' real practices by distributing leaflets. Look for Allan Paulson outside the main doors on Tuesday to get leaflets to distribute. Allan and other shareholders will be making statements inside the meeting as well.

WHY: Global Exchange and Organic Consumers Association have been pressuring specialty coffee giant Starbucks on both genetic engineering issues and Fair Trade. Global Exchange is asking Starbucks to increase their commitment to farmers by seriously promoting, brewing it as the coffee of the day once a week, and converting at least 5% of their coffee to Fair Trade. Organic Consumers Association is calling on Starbucks to label or remove recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) and other GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) from its products.

On Tuesday, March 30, Starbucks will be holding their annual shareholders meeting in Seattle, WA. Participation of corporate accountability activists continues to be crucial to make Starbucks finally meet our demands. We want Starbucks to live up to their self-proclaimed image of being a socially responsible business. As an industry leader Starbucks has an obligation to provide safe food for their consumers and a living wage to coffee growers.

HELP PRESSURE STARBUCKS TO REMOVE GENETICALLY ENGINEERED INGREDIENTS FROM THEIR FOOD AND DAIRY PRODUCTS ON A WORLDWIDE BASIS, IMPROVE WORKING CONDITIONS FOR COFFEE PLANTATION WORKERS BY PROMOTING AND CONVERTING AT LEAST 5% OF THEIR COFFEE TO FAIR TRADE. HELP US EDUCATE THE SHAREHOLDERS AT THEIR ANNUAL MEETING.

In the past three years, tens of thousands of activists in the US, Canada, New Zealand, Israel and England have protested and leafleted outside of Starbucks cafes in what continues to be the largest grassroots campaign of its kind focusing on genetic engineering and fair trade. Our volunteers have now handed out a quarter of a million leaflets to Starbucks customers and we have educated many millions more through the numerous media stories we have generated.

For local information, please contact Community Alliance for Global Justice at 1-206-246-0931. See below for Organic Consumers Association's and Global Exchange's contact information. Also visit www.organicconsumers.org/Starbucks
www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/coffee/starbucks.html.

Thank you for all your hard work towards social justice!
In solidarity,
Community Alliance for Global Justice, Global Exchange, & Organic Consumers Association

Organic Consumers Association
1-415-271-6833
ryan@organicconsumers.org
www.organicconsumers.org

Community Alliance for Global Justice
1-206-246-0931
allan@seattleglobaljustice.org
www.seattleglobaljustice.org

Global Exchange
1-415-558-6938
valerie@globalexchange.org
www.globalexchange.org