There may be more in your next latte than steamed milk.
In a rally at the Government Center Starbucks yesterday, local activists gathered to protest Starbucks’ use of milk and baked goods containing the genetically engineered recombinant bovine growth hormone.
“Starbucks maintains that they strive to buy, sell and use environmentally friendly products. However, they still have not taken steps to remove genetically engineered ingredients from their products,” said Clean Water Action spokeswoman Linda Setchell.
“[Starbucks] should be listening to what their consumers say, which is that they don’t want genetically engineered food or coffee that’s grown with slave labor,” said Dan Feder, a junior in the University Professors Program.
Setchell said the protest was targeted at Starbucks because, as a national chain, it has more influence over its suppliers than smaller regional stores.
“They have the ability to change how food is grown on a larger scale,” Setchell said.
The hormone rBGH is injected in dairy cows to increase their milk output; studies have shown the chemical also becomes active in humans who drink genetically altered milk. Groups opposed to genetically engineered food say growth hormones can be linked to increased rates of some types of cancer.
The protesters also called attention to what they considered broken promises from Starbucks to sell organic Fair Trade Coffee beans.
“Starbucks claims to understand environmental issues and share information with their partners. However, since their promise to sell Fair Trade Coffee last year, they have done almost nothing to promote it in their stores, and they are still refusing to brew it,” Setchell said.
Setchell said although Starbucks coffee shops do sell the environmentally and worker-friendly coffee beans in bulk, they refuse to brew them or offer them as a coffee of the day.
“Today, if you walk into Starbucks you will note that their Fair Trade literature is front and center. However, it probably wasn’t there yesterday, and chances are it won’t be there next week,” said Setchell. “Starbucks may do community service in Cambridge, but they don’t pay living wages to the workers who grow their coffee.”
According to Sue Anderson, an organic dairy farmer from Westboro, the vast increase in yield produced by genetically engineered cows drives milk prices down and forces small dairy farmers out of business.
“One of the myths put out by the genetic engineering industry is that we need [growth hormones] to increase yields. … Dairy farmers are going under because they can’t get high enough prices for their milk. We need less milk on the market, not more,” Anderson said.
However, Starbucks maintains its stance that it is doing the best it can in a market dominated by genetically altered food.
In a March 16 letter addressed to the heads of six activist groups, Starbucks President and CEO Orin Smith said, “As with virtually every other retailer of food products, Starbucks must rely on governmental agencies charged with food safety to determine what foods are safe for human consumption. … We, therefore, have concluded that the products offered in our stores are safe either because they have been approved by government agencies or conform to governmental regulators.”
According to the letter, as much as 70 percent of America’s food supply, and 95 percent of America’s milk, contain genetically modified organisms. However, despite the prevalence of genetically engineered food, Starbucks says it eventually intends to do away with products containing such organisms.
“As soon as we have an alternative source of supply, Starbucks will begin to offer rBST-free milk, just as we currently offer soy milk as an alternative in our beverages,” the letter said.
Smith also denied Starbucks has dragged its feet in marketing Free Trade Coffee.
“As with all our coffees, customers can always obtain brewed Fair Trade Coffee at any time upon request,” he said, adding that Starbucks is making an effort to feature a Fair Trade coffee of the day.
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