Starbucks Corporation

Starbucks Corporation is a U.S.-based multinational coffeehouse chain with over 35,000 stores in more than 80 countries. Despite marketing itself as a leader in “100% ethical sourcing,” the company’s supply chains have been repeatedly tied to serious labor rights abuses. Investigations by groups including Reporter Brasil, China Labor Watch, and litigation brought by International Rights Advocates have documented child labor, forced labor, wage theft, and unsafe conditions on farms supplying Starbucks in Brazil, Guatemala, and China.

Starbucks relies on certification schemes such as Rainforest Alliance and its own C.A.F.E. Practices to promote an ethical image. However, watchdogs including Human Rights Watch have shown that these audit systems are weak: audits are often pre-announced, workers are coached, and violations are concealed, allowing abuses to persist.

Beyond supply chains, Starbucks has faced over 100 complaints to the U.S. National Labor Relations Board for union-busting practices, including retaliatory firings and surveillance of employees organizing under Workers United. Internationally, the company has faced backlash after disavowing and suing its union when it posted solidarity messages with Palestine in 2023, triggering boycotts across the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and parts of North America.

While Starbucks does not operate stores in Israel, its leadership, including the founding Schultz family, are publicly aligned with Zionist causes. The company’s actions have tied it into wider campaigns for Palestinian solidarity and corporate accountability.