Watchdog Collective Calls On Farm Rio To End Partnership With Starbucks Over Allegations Of Serious Human Rights Violations – CoffeeTalk

A group of 17 labor unions, human rights organizations, and watchdog nonprofits, including Coffee Watch, are calling on the lifestyle brand Farm Rio to end its partnership with Starbucks or change its policies. The coffee chain has come under fire this spring for allegations of child labor, trafficking workers, and unsafe working conditions on a Brazilian coffee farm. A civil “John Doe” lawsuit was filed against Starbucks in late April in the U.S. by eight individuals with the support of the International Rights Advocates.

A Starbucks spokesperson said that the claims asserted are “without merit” and the company plans to “vigorously defend the Starbucks brand.” Coffee Watch filed a petition under section 307 of the Tariff Act asking U.S. Customs and Border Protection to block slavery-tainted Brazilian coffee in Starbucks’ supply chains from entering the United States. Starbucks said it is committed to ethical sourcing of coffee and helping to protect the rights of people who work on the farms where we purchase coffee from.

Starbucks and Farm Rio revealed their partnership last month for a limited-edition collection of colorful drinkware and mini cold-cup keychains that launched in the coffee chain’s stores in the U.S. and Canada. They are also being sold in its outposts in Brazil and in select markets in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Representatives at Farm Rio could not be reached for comment. An outside public relations company that works with Farm Rio acknowledged a request for comment about the request to end the Starbucks partnership and said it had been shared with Farm Rio, but there was not a response at press time.

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