A consumer advocacy group has filed a lawsuit against coffee giant Starbucks, alleging the company is deceiving the public by promoting a ‘100% ethical’ sourcing commitment while buying coffee and tea from suppliers with ‘documented, severe human rights a

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The case, representing American consumers, cites instances of abuses on farms in Guatemala, Kenya and Brazil.  

In Brazil, labour officials have cracked down on several reported Starbucks suppliers over abusive and unsafe labour practices in recent years, including garnishing the cost of harvesting equipment from farm workers wages, not providing clean drinking water, personal protective equipment or bathrooms, and employing underaged workers. In Guatemala, suppliers were accused of using child labour at bean farms. In Kenya, women workers were allegedly sexually abused by their supervisors on tea farms that supplied StarbucksStarbucks issued a statement in which it denied the accusations and said it actively engages with farms to uphold ethical standards. 

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