The UK has long been known as the birthplace of the fair trade movement. It is only fitting that the Starbucks UK market can boast that 100% of their espresso based coffee drinks are Fair Trade Certified (Starbucks UK 100% Fair Trade Espresso Based Drinks), but what about the U.S. market? The U.S. market offers the Italian Roast as their Fair Trade Certified option. I found a great article on a petition for Starbucks to offer a Fair Trade Certified brewed coffee option daily by a former partner. The main reason Starbucks USA has not acted is because there is not enough demand for the same Fair Trade standards as the UK stores. Please take a look and let your voice be heard!
Former Barista Tells Starbucks: Brew More Fair Trade Coffee
Coffee harvesting (image source)
I also found a link to an article about how Starbucks UK is creating a Fair Trade Access Fund, check it out! Introducing Starbucks Fair Trade Access Fund
Contributed by Jack Ramaika, founding Fair Trade TrailBlazer
Just FYI – vis a vis coffee (& other Fair Trade foods) the real birthplace for Fair Trade is split between two places: Oaxaca, Mexico (home of the uber-impressive UCIRI co-operative) and the Netherlands. It was a Dutch organization, Solidaridad, who partnered with UCIRI to create the Fair Trade foods model. see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frans_van_der_Hoff
But, with that said, it is true that by some measures, the UK today has the strongest Fair Trade foods market and the broadest public support.