Starbucks defends business with poor farmers

[Omaha Steve]

http://money.excite.com/ht/nw/bus/20061105/hle_bus-n05164279.html

Starbucks defends business with poor farmers

Sunday November 5, 1:49 PM EST

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Starbucks (SBUX), the icon of U.S. coffee culture, strongly defended on Sunday its business practices with poor coffee farmers around the world after it was accused of blocking the U.S. trademark application of coffee growers from Ethiopia.

Starbucks said in a full page ad published Sunday in the New York Times that it has worked to strengthen infrastructure of coffee farms in many parts of the world.

"We do these things -- in Ethiopia, in Guatemala, in Indonesia, and other coffee growing communities around the globe -- not just because it's the right way to work but because it's the smart way to work," the ad said.

Ethiopia, where coffee was first cultivated in the year 850, and British charity Oxfam accused Starbucks last month of stopping the African country from trademarking its coffee, denying farmers potential income of about 50 million pounds ($94.22 million).

FULL story at link above.

[partylessinOhio]

1. I have always boycotted Starbucks - they are ripping off foolish people.

Make your own coffee and save what you would have paid Starbucks for your retirement.