Starbucks sued by consumer group that calls its claim of ethical sourcing "false and misleading"

A consumer advocacy group filed a lawsuit against Starbucks Wednesday, saying the company’s claim that its coffee is ethically sourced is false and misleading.

The National Consumers League cited media reports of abuses on farms that supply coffee and tea to Starbucks. The group said the cases cast doubt on Starbucks’ packaging, which states that the company is “committed to 100% ethical coffee sourcing.”

Starbucks said Wednesday it was aware of the lawsuit and will “aggressively defend against the asserted claims.” The lawsuit was filed in Superior Court in the District of Columbia.

Among the incidents cited in the lawsuit was a 2022 case in which police rescued 17 workers — including three teenagers — from a coffee farm in Brazil where they were made to work outdoors without protective equipment and lift 130-pound sacks of coffee. The case was covered by Repórter Brasil, a group of journalists that investigates workers’ rights and environmental issues.