Clean Water Action and the Massachusetts Northeast Organic Farming Association gathered with local businessmen, environmentalists and labor activists to protest Starbucks’ use of genetically engineered products and labor policies yesterday at Government Center.
Protesters said Starbucks, despite having pledged in 1995 to stop using some genetically engineered products, is not following through on its promises to help the environment.
“They have not gone far enough to protect either the environment or farmers from the damages caused by releasing genetically engineered crops into fields,” said protest organizer Linda Setchell.
Genetically engineered crops can cross-pollinate with crops in neighboring fields, resulting in problems for farmers who have chosen not grow GE crops, according to local organic farmer Frank Albani.
“By continuing to use some GE ingredients, Starbucks is putting farmers at risk,” he said. “GE crops pose a serious threat to my livelihood as an organic farmer because of cross pollination. Starbucks need to recognize that this is not a socially responsible technology.”
Following a press conference, the protesters toured different locations to inform citizens about the problem.
Starbucks now offers an alternative to the Bovine Growth Hormone in most locations, but the company charges an extra $.40 for it. Many customers, however, may not be aware of this option.
The protesters expressed outrage at Starbucks’ refusal to switch to fair-trade coffee. Setchell said world market prices for coffee are at their lowest point in history, and many coffee farmers do not receive a living wage. Farmers enrolled in fair-trade cooperatives receive about $.80 more per pound of their coffee, and “in places like Guatemala, this can make the difference of survival,” Setchell said.
While some local cafes are making the effort to explicitly use fair-trade coffee, currently only about one percent of the coffee Starbucks purchases is fair-trade. Local Cambridge caf????????? Mama Gaia’s owner Jason Berube said his local caf????????? is able to use only environmentally safe products.
“We offer only fair-trade/shade grown, organic … coffee,” he told the crowd.
Setchell said if companies such as Mama Gaia’s could use organic products, Starbucks should soon follow suit.
“If local retailers can take the time and make the effort to do the right thing, then Starbucks, a billion-dollar corporation, should have no problem,” Setchell said.
Local Starbucks customers said they did not know about the allegations, but they did not think these charges would affect their coffee-drinking habits.
“I’m a Starbucks stockholder; they are talking to the wrong people,” said Linda Ashton of Brookline, who was drinking a Starbucks skim milk latte. “I don’t know much about it, but I don’t like this whole genetically engineered food thing.”
“I don’t really know what they are protesting,” said accountant James Merwich of Brookline. “I don’t think it would stop me from getting my coffee though,” he said.
Some customers said these protests would change some of their habits.
“I didn’t know Starbucks was into this,” said insurance agent Al Jones of Dorchester. “I don’t like anything artificial. There will be no sale here,” he said.
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