Because I say so

A few days ago, I found myself staring at someone's discarded cardboard Starbucks cup. Okay, it was my husband's, since I was driving his car. He had left the cup in the car and it was lying, empty and unloved, on a pile of other football junk, in the passenger seat.

Ah Starbucks. They are a powerful and interesting player in the world of coffee. I believe (and would need to double check this, but I believe it's true) that they are the 8th largest purchaser of coffee beans in the world. More complete details about Starbucks and their (minimal) Fair Trade involvement can be found on the Transfair USA website, but I will provide a few basics. Starbucks offers for retail sale, one brand of Fair Trade coffee, their Fair Trade Cafe Estima label. I was gifted some of this for my birthday (thanks Jen!) and am really looking forward to trying it out. When I say that the Cafe Estima brand is Fair Trade, I mean that it has a Transfair label on the package that shows it to be Fair Trade.

BUT, apparently, Starbucks doesn't think that this is really necessary. Because as I was looking at my husband's discarded cardboard cup, I saw this nice little message written on the side. I don't remember exactly how it went, but here was the gist:

"Starbucks pays farmers a living wage for coffee, and sources all of our products ethically. We keep close track of this stuff. So you can feel good about drinking the coffee"

Really. Oh. Okay. Thanks. There's nothing that makes me feel quite so good as having my hand patted in a condescending manner. Fill er up.

Why did this mealy little speech get my goat? Because it's totally disingenuous and they know it. This, in my mind, is the same exact thing as when you buy chicken or something that is labeled "All-Natural". Meaning basically, it wasn't cloned in a lab by Dr Frankenstein. Very reassuring.

So here is my open note to Starbucks:

Hi Guys,

Saw the cup. And I am insulted that you think that I don't know the difference between an independent third-party agency that labels and certifies Fair Trade and your advertising department. You know that most of us here in the United States will never set foot in a coffee field, nor visit a coffee farmer, and that we are totally reliant on someone else's audit of your production methods to know exactly how ethical you are. You also know that people are starting to ask questions about how coffee is grown and produced and about what is happening in the third world. And so, this is your answer? Write some syrupy paragraph on your coffee cups about how you pinky-swear that you're not exploiting people?

Here's the deal. There are people who just don't care and will never care. They will not read what you write on the cup and if they do, their eyes will glaze over. Then there are the people like me, who are concerned about the issue at hand, and we will actually read the cup. And the cup says nothing, except: "Trust us, we are not bad guys." You need to give us, the mindful consumers, something more than that. I didn't just fall off the turnip truck. I know that you have shareholders and employees to factor into your business calculations. I know that protecting your bottom line must be part of your top level decisions about sourcing. And it is for that very reason, BECAUSE I understand that, that I know - (and that YOU know), that it is not sufficient for you to be your own judge and jury on this issue. So until there is something of substance to write on that cup - something that has actual verification, SAVE THE INK!!!!!! Because your haiku about sustainability isn't making me feel any better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Phew. Someone needs a nice big cup of Fair Trade coffee to straighten out that grumpy mood. I'm off to fill that need.

Until next time!