The National Consumers League sued the coffee shop company Starbucks on Wednesday (Jan. 10) for allegedly sourcing its coffee beans and tea leaves from farms that have records of human rights violations as opposed to the company's policy of "100% ethical" sourcing.
According to its lawsuit, the watchdog cited news reports on human rights and labor abuses on Guatemalan, Kenyan, and Brazilian coffee and tea farms. One of the highlighted reports about the matter was allegations against Starbucks suppliers in Brazil after Reporter Brasil exposed, among other things, labor officials rescued workers who were victims of "modern slavery."
The company told the Brazilian news outlet at the time that it was "thoroughly investigating" the claims.
Starbucks Yet to Respond to Alleged Unethical Sourcing Claims
While Forbes could not get a comment from Starbucks immediately, NBC News received a written statement from the coffee chain on the matter.
Starbucks said that they were "actively engaged" with its farmers to ensure adherence to its standards.
"Each supply chain is required to undergo reverification regularly," the letter to NBC stated, "and we remain committed to working with our business partners to meet the expectations detailed in our Global Human Rights Statement."
Meanwhile, the Washington Consumer Protection Coalition also alleged this week that the company "[rigged] its payment platform" by encouraging customers to leave unspent money on their cars and apps.
