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Is Any of Starbucks Coffee Organic?
Starbucks is an iconic coffee chain, offering many types of beverages for consumers to enjoy. Many individuals are curious to know whether any of Starbuck’s coffee is organic. In this article we will address that issue and provide information on how to identify organic beverages.
Starbucks does not carry organically certified coffees; however, they do carry several organic blends which are available both at select stores and online for purchase. Customers who want to know for sure if their cup of joe is organic should look out for the USDA Organic label – certification ensures that the beans were grown and processed without using synthetic fertilizers or pesticides and have also been tested for mycotoxins, which are potentially dangerous mold toxins found within coffee beans.
To guarantee organic coffee purchases, the best way is to purchase it directly from its source – which may not always be feasible when purchasing from companies such as Starbucks where their beans come from various regions around the globe and it would be impossible for them to source organically certified beans from every one of these regions.
Additionally, many farmers lack the resources to grow organically certified coffee. Organic farming can be more expensive and labor intensive than conventional growing methods; farmers must adhere to stringent guidelines in order to qualify for organic certification; in addition, soil must be replenished post harvest – something not always feasible for small-scale farmers who rely solely on selling their crops as income sources.
Starbucks claims they support fair trade, yet their track record shows otherwise when it comes to paying their farmers a decent price for their produce. According to their global impact report, only 8.4% of coffee purchased is certified fair trade and worse yet they’re working behind-the-scenes to secure corporate-friendly conditions for an upcoming global trade deal: the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement.
If you care about the welfare of coffee farmers who produce your coffee, purchasing organic coffee from companies committed to fair trade may help improve conditions for them. Furthermore, joining unions or starting community gardens are two additional ways you can contribute directly.
One way you can support fair trade is to switch to organic milk. Starbucks may have discontinued using milk containing Monsanto’s rBGH growth hormone, but their dairy cows continue to consume GMO corn, soy and alfalfa as food sources – changing to organic can help put pressure on Starbucks to change their position on GMOs and end their abuse of these cows.