Starbucks latest in store promotions and advertisements feature the company’s work with local growers, noting how Starbucks makes lives better in small coffee growing villages around the world. If you believe that, you probably also believe those Wal-Mart commercials that claim how the retail Godzilla supports the communities it has stores in.
Well don’t get me wrong. Starbucks isn’t Wal-Mart. Starbucks does pay well, with good benefits and unlike Wal-Mart, health insurance is provided for almost all employees. As regular readers know, 1 out of every 2 Wal-Mart employees isn’t covered by Wal-Mart’s health plan. Okay back to Starbucks, where, despite those well designed in store signs wanting to make you and me believe the coffee giant cares about the people growing those caffeine laden beans, only 1% of Starbucks coffee is fair trade. More often than not Starbucks negotiates with all the consciousness of an iron fist.
So buy fair trade. And if you do go to Starbucks encourage them to do more, a lot more
