I used to line up and get my latte everyday, but yesterday was my last one. ~ Neil Young
I, like Neil, have lined up at a Starbucks counter, waiting patiently behind ten people to get my caffeine fix. But there’s something that changed this habit. The coffee shop on every corner (there are almost 12,000 stores in the US) is helping to keep you in the dark about GMOs in your food and beverages. Recently, they have teamed up with Monsanto to sue Vermont over the recently passed GMO labeling initiative. What gives, Starbucks?
Neil Young is boycotting Starbucks, and you should too. The company obviously doesn’t think you have the right to know what is in your food. Why sue a small state that legally determined for itself that GMOs should be labeled? It once again comes down to money.
“Hiding behind the shadowy ‘Grocery Manufacturers Association,’ Starbucks is supporting a lawsuit that’s aiming to block a landmark law that requires genetically-modified ingredients be labeled,” Young wrote. “Amazingly, it claims that the law is an assault on corporations’ right to free speech.”
Starbucks once used only organic milk, but in the frenzy to grow bigger, they started using cow’s milk that is contaminated with GMOs due to the genetically altered soy, and corn given to many dairy cows as feed. This has led to countless consumers telling Starbucks to go organic and drop the GMO milk, or business will dwindle.
Starbucks also sells other items that are contaminated with GMOs, as many restaurants do. They don’t want to have to worry about what they feed their customers, just as long as those stocks and profits keep going up!
Starbucks has hidden their non-GMO support behind the Grocery Manufacturers Association’s front. Starbucks claims that the Vermont law requiring the labeling of genetically modified ingredients “is an assault on corporations’ right to free speech.”
Starbucks Says These Claims are False
In a statement on its website, Starbucks said a petition Young directed his followers to is wrong:
“Starbucks is not a part of any lawsuit pertaining to GMO labeling nor have we provided funding for any campaign. And Starbucks is not aligned with Monsanto to stop food labeling or block Vermont State law. The petition claiming that Starbucks is part of this litigation is completely false and we have asked the petitioners to correct their description of our position. Starbucks has not taken a position on the issue of GMO labeling. As a company with stores and a product presence in every state, we prefer a national solution.”
I’m not sure how any of that could be true when Starbucks is a member of the Grocery Manufacturers Association – a group dedicated to crush GMO labeling efforts. A post on GMA’s website, dated June 13, confirms its stance that Vermont’s GMO labeling law is unconstitutional.
Monsanto may be insulated from the general public’s opinion regarding GMOs, but Starbucks certainly is not. Now, as never before, we can show a major US retailer what we think about their GMO toxins with our joint refusal to pay another dollar for any product made by a company that wants us to suffer GMOs without our consent.
Vermont is a rural state containing only 600,000 people, but we are a vast nation with a resounding collective voice. We can tell Starbucks that if they are going to side with the most hated company in the world to sue Vermont, then we will side with the rest of the citizens in the US and stop patronizing their coffee shops.
If the Vermont law is successfully overturned, then the whole nations’ ability to demand labeling (or banning) of GMOs is put into question. We must ensure that the labeling law in Vermont stands.
I’m boycotting Starbucks. Will you?
No, I won’t join the boycott. Starbucks happens to be an associate member of the GMA. They have no decision-making power in the group. If your business belongs to a chamber of commerce and the chamber takes a political stance without consulting you, does that mean you have taken a stance? Of course not. This is disingenuous at best. Why not boycott the other 100 or so GMA members? Starbucks is just an easy target — and an employer that provides health benefits for part-time employees.
I agree. If you are going to boycott one member of the GMA, you need to boycott all of them. That is not logical to only single out one member. It seems as though whoever started this boycott has a hidden agenda against Starbucks. I do things that make sense and this boycott doesn’t make any sense. So I will not be a sheep-following celebrity worshipper who does what some celebrity dictates! For those of you who do, all I can say is one thing, “Baaaaa”!
My family has boycotted many many popular food products because of this issue. It’s really not that hard, instead of Cherrios, we eat tasty O’s. Look the same and taste almost the same, but no poison, and the money spent doesn’t suport the devil. I was a die hard junk food eater until I did some research into the current food situation taking place in USA. China, and other Uro nations won’t eat the stuff, and we used to supply the world with food. GMO’s have been in play since 1993.
Currently all members of the GMA are being boycotted via Organic Consumers Association, “It’s time for consumers in every state to band together to defeat the GMA’s full-on assault, not only on Vermont, not only on consumers’ right to know what’s in our food, but on states’ rights and on our basic freedoms to protect our health and our communities.”
Vermont Right to Know is expressing appreciation for this support.
In 2012 GMA CEO Pamela Bailey said defeating California’s labeling initiative “is the single-highest priority for GMA this year.”
Although the main goal of a lobbying organization like GMA is to pool the massive resources of its members, at first only specific members who contributed the biggest of bucks to GMA’s anti-GMO labeling campaign in California were boycotted. Posters were made which included exact contributions and identified the products of the companies who donated to defeat labeling. The Buycott app has been very helpful with this ongoing boycott.
California’s Prop 37, requiring GMO labeling, was defeated by a slim margin.
Then the GMA led efforts to defeat the GMO labeling initiative in Washington state, where Starbucks is headquartered. The GMA was responsible for millions being poured into the effort to defeat GMO labeling, but did not properly disclose the source of donations. Washington’s Attorney General sued the GMA for money laundering and won.
At the time Organic Consumer’s association requested its members to ask Starbucks, Safeway and Target, to support the GMO labeling initiative, ask the GMA to stop supporting the No on GMO labeling efforts and if it won’t, to cancel their memberships in the GMA.
Move-on.org petition background:
“Safeway, Starbucks and Target have something in common: They’re all dues-paying members of the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), a group that is determined to deny you the right to know if your food contains genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Last year, the GMA spent $2 million to help defeat California’s Prop 37, a citizens’ initiative that would have required mandatory labeling of GMOs in food products in California. (In all, GMA and its members contributed about half of the $46 million spent to defeat Prop 37). Now the GMA is at it again, pouring money into the campaign to defeat a similar initiative, I-522, in Washington State. By supporting the GMA, Safeway, Starbucks and Target are working to defeat your right to know. The battle in Washington State will have a huge impact on consumer rights. If I-522 passes, food manufacturers will likely reformulate their products, rather than label them. And if they reformulate their products in Washington State, they’ll likely reformulate them for all states – just as they’ve reformulated them in Europe and other countries that have GMO labeling laws. If we want the same right that consumers in 64 other countries have, we must demand that right. We must win in Washington State in November. We can start by making it clear to Safeway, Starbucks and Target that we won’t support their companies or their products, until they support our right to know and pressure the GMA to do the same.”
Starbucks did not participate with the request.
Oregon’s Right to Know GMO labeling bill recently lost by 812 votes. A recount is scheduled.
Vermont is now being sued by Monsanto and the GMA, et al. http://www.scribd.com/doc/229432405/pdf-lawsuit-vs-vermont-gmo-law
Starbucks is now being boycotted.
Hell yes! Excellent info….thanks!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
“If we want the same right that consumers in 64 other countries have, we must demand that right. We must win in Washington State in November.
We can start by making it clear to Safeway, Starbucks and Target that we won’t support their companies or their products, until they support our right to know and pressure the GMA to do the same.”
If people don’t stand up to these controlling, elitist and greedy groups with huge amounts of lobbying power, THOSE are the people who will be crying “baaaaaaaah”, absolutely no doubt!
Many of us do boycott all of them, along with the organic traitors. 🙂
Agreed, along with New Chapter and Procter and Gamble.
Yeah, I was a customer of New Chapter right up til the day I learned that they sold out. Annie’s Homegrown foods is off my list now, too. I had to cross off Burt’s Bees, as well, when they sold out to Clorox. They all claim that their products will remain the same but I don’t trust their parent companies enough to remain true to their brands.
My holy grail is to make as many of my own personal-care products as possible. And yes, you could technically eat all of them. Lol. I really dislike using castille soap, so I buy the least offensive shampoos/soaps as I can find. Burt’s Bees products don’t look like they’ve changed much yet but it’s just the principal to me. I don’t want to support Clorox.
Yes, I do that too! I mix organic shea butter with Rosehip oil and my face loves it. The Madre magic has been great for me, but if they change their formula, I have many other alternatives. That’s the reason I started making my own things: Because these companies always ditch great products and “reformulate” them…plus they sell-out to corporate agendas as well.
I’ve tried castile soap and don’t like it either. Feels tacky on my skin and makes my hair too dry.
Right now, the best I’ve found for body wash, all organic, is “Shea Moisture” baby wash and there is also a baby healing lotion….I love it. Usually around 10-11 bucks for 13 oz. Of course, I keep an eye on the label for any changes. I find it everywhere….Target, CVS, etc….many places online too at a discount. They claim to be ethically traded and sustainable since 1912.
Thanks for the hint on the body wash. I make my own lotion, but still haven’t been able to formulate liquid soaps that I find acceptable. A good all-purpose one I’ve found is called Natural Sundae; it’s quite thick and concentrated, so you need less. Because it’s clear and without scent, you can use it for washing just about anything (dishes, bodies, clothes). I use it to fill my foaming hand-soap dispensers (I really only need half of what they tell you to use b/c it’s so thick). It’s definitely one of the most natural liquid soaps I’ve been able to find. I just use the oil-cleansing method for my face nowadays and it works well.
Then why be even an associate member? They may not have any deciding power, but voluntary membership = approval.
I’m guessing Starbucks has been members for years and they – like most industries – find it beneficial to band together on some issues. That doesn’t mean they give tacit approval to everything GMA does. If I’m Catholic, does that mean I agree with every position the Catholic Church takes? Of course not — doesn’t mean I quit an organization over everything I disagree with. Bottom line, this is simply large-scale bullying: “I’ll mobilize public sentiment against you – because I can – unless you do what I want.” Food Babe does the same crap – got Subway to remove a harmless substance from its bread because they didn’t want to look bad.
And I fully support her! Good for her, if she created change. It shouldn’t be in there in the first place, so whatever means necessary. You’re talking to people who have had enough of the crap. We want to know what is in our food, we want better availability of GOOD food, and I really see no problem with boycotting companies that don’t comply, even if it’s circumstantial. If it happens to enough of them, THEY will feel it, and THEY will either speak up, or just deal with the losses. I don’t have much money to spend. I want the money that I do spend to support companies that care about me, the consumer.
This is about intimidation for the sake of increasing influence – not for any meaningful change. It’s extortion, no different than a Mafia shakedown. And Food Babe is inane. She has no idea what she’s talking about — and she doesn’t care as long as she can fool some of the people some of the time. Tell me what Starbucks has done wrong other than having happened to join the GMA decades ago and by chance belonging to the same organization that’s suing?
They, just like a lot of other companies, know what people want, and what concerns people have, and instead of making moves to make their products healthier, they move away from that. Such as with the move from organic milk to conventional. Sorry. I’m not buyin’ it.
iF THAT’S THE CASE then they should remove themselves from being associated with that group at all. But I bet they don’t!! One of the other things about Starbucks is that they are NOT part of fair trade! Given the price of their damned coffee, they sure as hell should be!! They supply medical to part time employees eh? Woopee! How about paying a fair price so the people that work their asses off for mere pennies can survive in their homeland! Obviously there are a few “starbuck paid trolls” on here that keep repeating the same thing, over and over. Well, we can too! If they aren’t part of the lawsuit, it’s simple – dis associate themselves totally from it, and then take out huge ads to advise their customers that it was just a misunderstanding. I’m afraid this boycott has taken on a life of it’s own, and is spread far and wide among FB, Twitter, Google, Pinterest, and all the rest of them.
YES — it’s time for these people to acknowledge those who made them billionaires in the first place. If they want to turn up their noses at our very SERIOUS concerns, then we can very easily close our wallets.
Couldn’t have said it better myself Chloe! Thank you!!
I appreciate your strong views on these issues Cheena!
………we need more people in this world
who don’t mince words and stand for what is right! 🙂
You’re an idiot. Withholding your business from someone is nothing resembling a mafia shakedown.
Harmless? Um…maybe not. It’s been associated with asthma and allergies, and when heated it can degrade into a form which produces carcinogens. Besides that, it’s a totally unnecessary synthetic chemical used in a food that really only requires a handful of ingredients. I think the biggest point “Food Babe” was trying to make with her petition is the fact that azodicarbonamide is anything but fresh and Subway’s whole marketing platform is “Eat Fresh”. If they were serious about their slogan, they would make their own bread fresh every day using nothing more than flour, yeast, water, salt, and some sugar.
“they would make their own bread fresh every day using nothing more than flour, yeast, water, salt, and some sugar.”
What an absolutely novel idea…You mean fresh, healthy food without toxic preservatives, pesticide residues and GMO garbage?….wow…..aiming pretty high, aren’t we? lol 🙂
Lol. 🙂 Yeah, crazy thought, isn’t it?
If your Catholic and don’t agree with everything in the Catholic religion, it doesn’t sound like your a catholic by sain logic. Why be part of a group when they don’t really represent your values or beliefs?
I vote with my wallet and I vote every day. I support Vermont and other GMO labeling initiatives and will not spend my money with any company that directly or indirectly supports otherwise. GOOD BYE Starbucks.
And exactly what does Starbucks have to do with this lawsuit? It makes no sense – unless you are fine with blackmail. They are trying to get Starbucks to pull out of the GMA, not because it supports the lawsuit, but because they present a target that grabs headlines and some sheep will follow the “celebrities,” which right now amounts to Neil Young.
ALL of the companies who are members of the GMA should be boycotted, is the point. If they are going to support the fight against labeling our food so we know what we are consuming, then they need to go. Where there is one uproar, others can – and should -follow. That is the point. This is not about people’s jobs or one company, as much as it is about ALL companies fighting against their very customers that keep them in business!
I agree Lynnie, the Neil Young initiative is flawed in pointing the direct blame at Charrbucks. They (Starbucks) are only members of the GMA and its the GMA at fault here. I agree with the boycott but not the reason, I join this boycott only because they are members of GMA and GMA are working with Monsatan. If Charrbucks leaves the GMA and starts labelling, I might buy something from them. I will now also simply avoid any product that is produced by a member or the GMA as well. Simple. We do have a voice. If its not labelled to your standards, don’t buy it.
It takes dedication and knowledge, but I am doing the same. Taking my money elsewhere and supporting the companies that respect my right to know, as well as the other issues I am concerned with. Monsatan has loss of profits in the many millions for the last part of 2014 because WE are not supporting them, and the companies that stand with them, as much as before. We are wising up. So for me, I will stay away from Starbucks, and as many of the other GMA member companies, and support honest companies. The more people do this, the more it leads us all back to the true small business, too. The ones right in our community, who need our support more.
Baloney. Let me tell you about mega-corporations: they hold mega meetings at mega levels about all things buzzing in the culture that may affect their mega profits. Tactical meetings, and strategy meetings, PR meetings and damage control meetings and so on ad nauseum. And you may be sure that Bigstarrybuckaroos have had extensive meetings on the subject of GMO labeling, as prominent members of the GMA, and they have made a conscious and overt decision, at the behest of their capitalist cronies, to invest in keeping the status quo in place, so their bottom line doesn’t erode. There is nothing passive & innocent about this battle, my civilian friends. The players know what they are doing, and they are conducting themselves as though the informed public is the adversary. TAKE THEM DOWN, for life & liberty!!!
Take them All down!
Interesting that from this post Natural society and Neil Young chose to (from the way this is written) Only go after Star Bucks? Why not out all of the 300+ members?
Paying more than $5 for a cup of non-organic coffee seems silly to me, anyways. I’ve never purchased anything from them and likely won’t in the future unless it’s an “emergency” (being on vacation far away from home or whatever). I spend $10-13 on a jar of instant organic coffee and it makes 60 cups. People who spend $5 a day (or more) on coffee must have deep pockets, and that surprises me in light of today’s economy. Much cheaper to buy your own fair-trade/organic coffee, organic cream or half and half, and organic cane sugar (if you use those things in coffee). Buy an insulated coffee mug and you’re good to go. You’re not supporting GMOs and factory farms, and you’ve saved about $1700 a year (at one cup a day). I can think of a lot better things to do with that much money than spend it at a coffee shop…
That’s the brand I use, too. Actually, I think it’s the only organic instant coffee available right now (I mix a jar of the caffeinated with a jar of decaf to cut down on my caffeine intake). I began limiting my coffee consumption to one cup a day many years ago; if I hadn’t done that, I would just buy organic/fair-trade beans and grind/brew it the old-fashioned way. That would be best for people who drink more than one cup a day or who have someone else in the house who also drinks coffee.
I do the same I go organic it taste Wonderful, put my organic creamer and little sugar it tastes off the wazoo, and the coffee taste like coffee and the creamer taste like creamer sugar adds little more kick , I spent 10 dollars for a bag of organic coffee… it last me for the whole month try to drink Starbucks on 12.99 including creamer all organic for a whole month lol some say organic it sounds expensive… and people please realize once u eat organic ur at as hungry as much and ur stomach stops hurting
I admit there are some organic products that cost twice as much as conventional (chocolate comes immediately to mind), but most things are just a bit more expensive; some are extremely close to the prices of conventional. I can buy two heads of organic green-leaf lettuce for about $2.50, which is enough for 3 dinners for 3 people. That’s cheap. Even with the toppings I use, our dinner is quite inexpensive on those nights. I make my own salad dressings to avoid the crap in the bottles and it’s probably as cheap–if not cheaper–plus I control what goes in it. Bake a few russet potatoes to go with it, and you have dinner for $1 per person. A lesser-quality dinner at BK would run you $6 a person.
I do still buy the things that cost twice as much as conventional but I try to make up for that with other purchases. The trick is to be a smart shopper, IMO. (Having a deep freezer, dehydrator, vacuum sealer, and canning supplies helps.) I work pretty hard at reducing food costs. I buy in bulk as much as possible (usually through Azure Standard, but also through Amazon), and I buy things en masse when they go on sale at the grocery store. I stock up when it’s on sale and usually by the time I need that item again, it’s on sale again.
I buy bulk produce from a local organic grower in the summer. I also grow as much food as I can on my small property. I preserve as much food as possible come harvest time, and that helps cut costs. I’ve purchased 150 lbs of organic russets in the past 3 months, with an average cost of 60 cents a pound (they were most expensive right after harvest), and am processing them into various foods (twice-baked taters, mashed taters, fries, hashbrowns) for my freezer so that they will last until next year’s harvest. A hashbrowns and (local) eggs dinner in the middle of winter costs me about $1 per person.
I buy ground beef in bulk from the farm where I have a herd share for raw milk and it costs me $5 a pound for free-range organic beef, which is pretty much the same price for factory-farmed ground beef in the store. If I use one of those pounds to make a pot of chili, I have dinner for two nights (for 3 people) at the cost of about $2 a person. Considering it costs $20-30 for one dinner out at a restaurant (non-organic) for that many people, I’d say I’m able to save quite a bit of money by DIY’ing it.
I guess for most people, it’s all about priorities. If you really want to eat healthier food, it takes time and effort to do it on a budget. If going organic to someone means replacing conventional processed foods with organic processed foods, then yes–the price is going to be quite a bit higher. But if you’re willing to put in the effort to cook from scratch, buy in bulk, and be a smart shopper then it doesn’t have to be an expensive transition to organic.
It was fun to see you mention Azure Standard. We too shop with Azure. I actually help new customers find community drops in their area or receive items with our home deliveries through ground shipping. Thanks for sharing how you shop!
You’re welcome. 🙂 Yes, I try to help others find local drop points for Azure, too. I just hooked up our local food co-op with them, in fact. They were already using UNFI, but Azure has things that UNFI doesn’t have. There’s also another “organic” buying club called Thrive Market or something like that, but they have an annual membership fee. They claim that they provide deep discounts for products, but I’m not sure that they’re discounting anymore than Azure or UNFI. I haven’t looked at their site so I’m not sure the prices are made public in order for people to see if they’re cheaper than other buying clubs.
I’m cutting up my Starbucks card. I thot they were a progressive company.
Why are people surprised at Starbucks? Any large corporation will not spend the money to be GMO-free and organic. It’s too expensive and doesn’t suit their bottom line. If the customer base is willing to pay for organic and non-GMO, Starbucks and other will make the switch. In the meantime, they aren’t going to raise prices and risk profit loss just to satisfy a relatively small percentage of the sine graph.
I think they are already obscenely over-priced….they may as well meet customer demand while they still can.
What a bunch of jackwagons! So all you hippie, tree hugging, pot smoking idiots are for more Government intervention? Why don’t you buy a chemistry set and test your own food? What is in your dope? Do you even know? There is no such thing as bad publicity. My Starbucks stock just went up again. Please boycott them so more people will go there to see what it is! It smells better without that Neil Young in there! “Southern Man don’t need him around anyhow”.
Ever hear of Kosher? Rabbi been eating non poison food long before GMO was even talked about. Funny how they knew before hand…..
LOL. That’s the most ignorant comment I’ve read in a long time. What at-home chemistry set do you think normal people can buy which would detect the presence of GMOs, pesticides, and growth hormones? Your uneducated statements about pot-smoking hippies really takes the cake, though. But I suspect that you’re the type of person who regularly goes around putting everyone in the same neat little box you’ve created…
I know why don’t you all quit your job, if you have one, stand on the corner, protest and boycott everything. To recap…you won’t eat anything forever then after several hours of not drinking water from a plastic bottle you die!!! Great plan. Oh by the way check out the documentary Food Inc. if you are into organics. Peace
I know…why don’t you consume as much pesticide-laden GM-food as you can get your hands on. While you’re at it, make sure to suck up some hormone and antibiotic-rich factory-farmed milk while you’re at it. Throw in some MSG and HFCS, and you’re good to go. 🙂
You make it sound like having knowledge, ethics, and morals takes a lot of time and effort. Newsflash: it *doesn’t*. There’s no need to “stand on the corner protesting and boycotting everything”. It’s called being an educated consumer and talking with your wallet.
freedomdove, Wills61 is a shill. He posts here and elsewhere for pay and doesn’t actually have an opinion of his own. Never mind trying to discuss anything with him. Don’t feed the trolls.
BTW, you’re absolutely right about being an educated consumer. That is the first step in protecting ourselves and our families from harmful foods.
Yes, yes, yes, to all of it.
So when are you going to get your education?
Since I have one, the better question here would be “When are you going to stop harassing me?”. You haven’t left any other comments to this article, so I can only guess that you’re still just infatuated with me personally. This with the other comments you left at the same time in other articles qualifies you as an official loser/psycho/stalker. Still. When *are* you going to stop following me around the internet?
Are you *sure* you’re not infatuated with him? If you stop giving him a reaction, he’ll probably leave you alone. Basic harassment avoidance 101.
Signed up to leave this message, trying to help you.
I’m sorry, but that’s poor advice. I don’t happen to appreciate trolls following me around for months at a time, and I’m certainly not going to ignore every single comment he makes to me. I’ve ignored several of them as it is. But thanks.
I knew you had a burning desire for me!
I’m sorry Penn and Teller’s Bulls*** show on organic food was what I meant. However the Food Inc. is a feather in the cap for the lefties.
Read Jon Rappoport’s blog articles on the con job of GMO labeling initiatives. As for taking Neil Young’s word for anything at all……..
I like Starbucks and will continue to buy the packaged coffee beans. As to GMO labeling initiatives, why aren’t we pushing for GMO bans? I guess if you’re dim enough to think that Neil Young can sing, you’re about right for such shell games as boycotts and labeling initiatives.
Jon Rappoport is SPOT on that GMO needs to be abolished altogether.
Thanks to this corrupt administration, Monsanto has been handed more power than ever. Labeling is the last straw we have to grasp hold of it seems.
…….OR MOVING someplace that isn’t such a nightmare…..is there such a place?
I don’t agree that “labeling is the last straw”. Labeling is just the bait and switch offered to us by phony ‘organic food” corporations like Stonyfield. Labeling initiatives are the only “straw” dangled before us. Such initiatives are convenient for those of us unwilling to start initiatives for banning.
Why move? Isn’t this our home? Let the crooks move. Corporations don’t have home countries.
I agree TOTALLY.
“Labeling initiatives are the only “straw” dangled before us” <<< This is what I meant, but you phrased it much better than me.
The reason I'd consider moving before fighting a battle that could take decades is because I'd be concerned that I would become ill before the battle was won and I couldn't fight at all. I want to stay and fight and protest MORE than you know but I was harmed seriously by the medical industry and lost 5 precious years of my life already.
I'm not as courageous as I once was and I'm not proud of that at all actually. My natural spirit is inclined to never back down…..I'm trying to become that person again.
I’ll bet you still have that natural spirit. Don’t worry that you might not win. You’ll do fine. I remember the title of an album from the early ’70s by a group named Cowboy. It was “Why Quit When You’re Losing?” It struck a chord with me. I think it means that you don’t really lose until you quit. If you went down swinging, you didn’t lose, you just got beat. World of difference there. 😉
Your right! We should be banning GMO’s! Why can’t we just eat our food the way it was made by Nature and not label it at all. I drink Starbucks at home, I’ll have to find a new coffee. I like Neil Young.
How about making your own coffee ( a fair trade, organic, ethical version) in the morning? How about putting it in a decent flask and taking it with you? I see the guy a few doors up from me walk past some mornings and return carrying a 7-11 coffee! When you can’t be bothered to flick a switch know that your life has just reached pathetic.
Or spending your money at a locally owned coffee shop. Every city I’ve ever lived in has had many wonderful places to support, keeping the money in the community instead of sending it to Starbucks top echelon.
And the coffee is always better and cheaper. And the baristas sexier.
Labeling is a fraud…… I vote to ban them period, they contaminate conventional and organic crops and if they are not banned there will not be anything but gmo…….. they know this too there is no coexist w/ gmo!!!! WAKE UP PEOPLE or should i say SHEEPLE!!!!! Lableing is rediculous and stupid!!!!
You’re right, I had no idea how much damage GMOs did until recently re: China’s rejection of GMO contaminated corn from the US and losses alleged in the billions, with a B.
Great. What total BS. I’m going to Starbucks more after reading this.
1. There is nothing wrong with GMO’s. Prove that everything you consume is GMO free. Prove that there is something wrong with GMO’s. What research is there? The only problem I have with GMO’s is the fact that costs to farmers have gone up.
2. Don’t slander one company because of what an organization they are apart of is promoting. A member of a group can continue to be a member regardless of whether or not they believe in everything that organization promotes.
There are ~300 companies in this association. Why aren’t other big names mentioned: Target, Goya, 3M, Unilver, Tetra Pak (they make a lot of packaging for all things Soy, Organic, etc.). There are many more companies who have the hand in a lot more products than Starbucks.
Huge big surprise that Starbucks would be concerned only with its bottom line–ask the coffee growers in Ethiopia about Starbucks and its big ethical front(its website is absolutely nauseating in its protestations that all it cares about is people, actually). Of course this corporation wants to continue to charge what are ridiculous prices for products made with the cheapest (read corporate produced) products. I would be happy to pay those prices for truly fair trade, GMO free, organic products (even more). But I will not pay for BS falsehoods pretending to be corporate responsibility, and the company can deny it all they want–they are absolutely involved in this just as they were involved in trying to take over Ethiopia’s rights to its own unique coffee bean species.
I have not set foot in a Starbucks for over five years now, and I hope eventually the whole chain will collapse (only because I truly believe it cannot “reform”). But then, I don’t go to MacDonalds or Walmart or any other huge corporate entity either–they are of necessity hypocrites and I refuse to support them. We need to take back our power as consumers and stop being stupid little corporate minions–go to your local cafe and have a cup of Joe. You might be pleasantly surprised, especially if you ask the owner to do something specific for you…
BWHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! What a complete idiot.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/starbucksmonsanto.asp
this article is misleading, it says: “Celebrities Ditch Starbucks”….I only see Neil Young, so maybe it should read Celebrity.
Just ignore GMO Joe- he is from the public relations staff of Monsanto…
MMMMMMMMMMMM Starbucks frappuccinos are yummy.
But, what about this statement? news.starbucks.com/views/starbucks-response-to-questions-and-litigation-regarding-gmo-labeling
Starbucks isn’t listed on the lawsuit at all which is a public record you can check with ease. That is some serious legal action they just put themselves and the website in jeopardy for.
The Grocery Manufacturers Association is a major lobby group for the food industry. There are tons of companies that join it because it serves their interest on most, not all issues. So that link to claim they support GMOs is really flimsy in the least.
Not saying that absolutely don’t side with GMOs, but nothing in this article is proof of that.
Think the writer was looking for a scoop and forgot the basics of journalism and integrity.
And no, I’m not pro GMO. I’m pro truth and facts. When we don’t stick to those in our fight against GMOs, then we are no better than those who promote them.
to be clear I can see no redeeming quality about/for Monsanto…. but this just came to my attention while it is a year old- there seems to be contradicting statements — and have to wonder like “GMO Joe noted” is this just blackmail?
copied From Snopes on 12/3/2015 = Starbucks is part of the GMA (Grocery Manufacturing Assoc.), so therefore they are supporting the lawsuit thru their membership in the GMA. We really need to get labeling laws in place so we know if we are buying GMO food!
My ? “is Starbucks part of the GMA/Grocery Manufacturing Assoc.”
On 15 November 2014, Starbucks addressed the claims. The coffee chain sent a tweet with a link to a longer statement:
The statement indicated Starbucks asked the petition be edited to reflect their position and lack of involvement in the lawsuit against the state of Vermont:
Starbucks is not a part of any lawsuit pertaining to GMO labeling nor have we provided funding for any campaign. And Starbucks is not aligned with Monsanto to stop food labeling or block Vermont State law.
The petition claiming that Starbucks is part of this litigation is completely false and we have asked the petitioners to correct their description of our position.
Starbucks has not taken a position on the issue of GMO labeling. As a company with stores and a product presence in every state, we prefer a national solution. Grocery Manufacturers Association spokesman Brian Kennedy said that Starbucks is an “affiliate member” of the GMA and is not involved in actions such as the Vermont lawsuit:
As an affiliate member, [Starbucks] is not involved in any policy, governance, or legal work with the Association, which includes the lawsuit in Vermont. In summary: Although Starbucks is a member of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, the lawsuit targeted by the petition was initiated by that group and not by Starbucks or Monsanto; and direct collusion between Starbucks and Monsanto on the issue is neither evident nor germane to the dispute between the state of Vermont and the GMA. Last updated: 17 November 2014 http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/starbucksmonsanto.asp
Yes – I will boycott Starbucks!
Who loves coffee and know what a good coffee is, doesn’t visit Starbucks….problem solved
Their not honest when it comes to this. Organic does not mean feed your dairy cows garbage and substandard feed
Let ’em keep their overpriced GMO swill…. The last thing a person *NEEDS* is a $5 cup of coffee or other concoction that has no essential nutritional value whatsoever.
Would you expect any less from a Master of Corporate Globalist franchises……? That is their Purpose…. to spread the GMO’s worldwide ……… They don;t care about you….. thier stuff is full of SUGAR real or fake… gotta keep the Cancers growing ……. FEED it Sugar and GMO’s but shhhhhhhhhhhhh so tasty! 🙁 Stomach problems? Shhhhhhhhh so tasty……..