UK: Starbucks go Fairtrade - 15 Nov 2004

All those requests for Starbucks to sell Fairtrade coffee has finally paid off!!

All Starbucks coffee shops in the UK will now replace one decaffeinated drip coffee brewer with Fairtrade coffee. This means that Fairtrade coffee will be available all the time at Starbucks.

So far only 11 of the 407 stores in the UK have objected and have decided to keep the decaffeinated drip brewer. So, if your local store is not selling Fairtrade make sure you continue to ask for it.

What is Fairtrade?

International trade may seem a remote issue, but when commodity prices fall dramatically it has a catastrophic impact on the lives of millions of small scale producers, forcing many into crippling debt and countless others to lose their land and their homes.

Too many farmers in the developing world have to contend with fluctuating prices that may not even cover what it costs to produce their crop. So Fairtrade seeks to provide a living wage and safe conditions for such workers whilst ensuring that the consumer gets a good product.

For more information visit the Fairtrade Foundation.

I'm not from the UK, what about me?

Well, feel encouraged that your requests are being acted upon. If you keep asking in your local store and tell them about whats happened in the UK maybe they'll follow too.

Or visit the Fair Trade Federation.