Coffee/Class

These days, obtaining commodities like chocolate or coffee is fairly easy to do. With nearly 27,000 Starbucks worldwide and more chocolate brands than we can imagine, the average American has no difficulty indulging in these delicacies. The average American, however, often fails to consider the labor that went into the production of such goods. The fetishization of these finished products has caused us to develop an ignorance that disregards the exploitation that occurs behind brands like.

Coffee has never been appealing to me. The flavor itself disgusts me and when I do decide to drink it, my anxiety levels go through the roof. On the other hand, my mother goes to Starbucks so much that the lady in the drive-thru knows exactly what her car looks like. For the most part, Starbucks does a good job of maintaining its reputation, so much so that I was not aware of the affiliation the brand has with coffee plantations that use slave-like labor. According to the Fair World Project, “Workers have been found in slavery-like conditions on Brazilian plantations selling to Starbucks for the second time in nine months. ” This is an ongoing, active campaign that has been pushing for change, asking Starbucks to participate in real fair trade. Starbucks has adopted a model of sustainability known as C.A.F.E., or Coffee And Farmer Equity, in which the company addresses the social and environmental needs of all the participants in the coffee supply chain from farmer to consumer. This sustainability model, however, has not been accurate over the years as Starbucks has failed to meet its standards. Regardless of its commitment to “99%” ethical coffee”, Starbucks has a serious slave labor problem. In countries like Brazil, plantations that have been linked to Starbucks are reported to have poor working conditions in which workers have no access to sanitation systems and often deal with debilitating workdays. These conditions do not support the company’s C.A.F.E. standards, their commitment to “99% ethical coffee” is simply a marketing strategy.

The image Starbucks upholds is drastically different from what we see in the Brazil coffee plantations. When walking through the Danner Hall cafeteria, I noticed a sign by the coffee station that read, “Starbucks promises to only brew fair trade coffee.” I laughed out loud as I thought about the companies history of participating in the exploitation of human beings. This “sustainability” talk can also be seen on the companies website where there are many different articles you can read about how Starbucks is creating a better market place for farmers all around the world, these claims, however, are false. Starbucks is choosing to buy coffee beans from these centers of exploitation rather than buying coffee from small-scale farmers around the world who are ready and waiting to sell their coffee on fair trade contracts. Rather than addressing these exploitation issues, Starbucks has instead doubled down on marketing by plastering their website with claims that they are an environmentally and socially responsible company. This incentive has served as a way for the company to preserve its reputation so that it can continue to sell coffee at the exploitation of other human beings.