In response to the news of the National Consumers League lawsuit, Starbucks posted a response on its website that seemingly defended the company’s practices concerning ethical sourcing. “In instances where Starbucks is notified of alleged violations, we take immediate action,” stated Michelle Burns, Starbucks’ Executive Vice President of Global Coffee, Social Impact, and Sustainability.
In a later statement to Tasting Table, the company noted that it was “aware of the lawsuit, and plan[s] to aggressively defend against the asserted claims that Starbucks has misrepresented its ethical sourcing commitments to customers.”
The statement further noted that Starbucks takes “allegations like these extremely seriously and are actively engaged with farms to ensure they adhere to our standards,” explaining that, “each supply chain is required to undergo re-verification regularly and we remain committed to working with our business partners to meet the expectations detailed in our Global Human Rights Statement.”
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