By Brendan Pierson
(Reuters) - A U.S. consumer group sued Starbucks on Wednesday, accusing the Seattle-based coffee chain of falsely advertising its tea and coffee as "ethically" sourced while obtaining it from farms plagued by human rights abuses in Kenya, Brazil and Guatemala.
The National Consumers League said in a lawsuit filed in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia that Starbucks "sources coffee beans and tea leaves from cooperatives and farms that have committed documented, severe human rights and labor abuses, including the use of child labor and forced labor as well as rampant and egregious sexual harassment and assault."
Starbucks said the company would defend itself against the claims.
"We take allegations like these extremely seriously and are actively engaged with farms to ensure they adhere to our standards," it said.
National Consumers League, a Washington, D.C.-based consumer advocacy group founded in 1899, said Starbucks' false statements included saying it was "committed to 100% ethical coffee sourcing" and to "100% ethically sourced tea."
In fact, the group said, investigations by journalists and governments have uncovered abuses at Starbucks suppliers around the world.
For example, it said, last year, BBC reporters exposed "rampant" sexual violence against women at a tea plantation in Kenya, and Brazilian authorities issued a complaint against Starbucks' largest Brazilian coffee supplier for conditions "analogous to slavery." In 2020, the...
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