“Do you feel like a chain store?
Practically floored.
One of many zeros
Kicked around bored.
Your ears are full but you’re empty
Holding out your heart
To people who never really
Care how you are.
So give me coffee and tv.
History.
I’ve seen so much
I’m goin’ blind
And I’m braindead virtually.
Sociability.
It’s hard enough for me.
Take me away from this big, bad, world
And agree to marry me.
So we can start all over again.
From “Coffee And TV” by Blur.
So, here’s the question – Should I buy coffee at Starbucks?
Like many of my contemporaries, I had a rude awakening when I read Naomi Klein’s “No Logo” 6 or 7 years ago. Whilst very much of it’s time, the world seems like a different place today. Fairtrade is commended, sweatshops have been exposed and denounced, ethical living is mainstream, green issues are embraced and we have all declared to make poverty history. Hurrah, for the modern world.
But is it really so? The cappuccino culture that Cool Britannia heralded in has brought blessings and curses. Who doesn’t enjoy a good blether with friends in a neutral and friendly space where the atmosphere, drinks and chat is good? The simple function of the tea rooms of old witnessed a makeover in the 1990s and the chains of Seattle Coffee Co, Costa’s, Nero’s, Prets and Starbucks emerged. Now every high street looks the same…
In No Logo, Naomi Klein went out of her way to expose some of the worst perpetrators of exploitation of people, planet and profit. I guess that armed with that information, there was a ready made list of which high street retailers, franchises or clothing manufacturers to boycott including Starbucks. Some of those choices were easier than others dependent on how much I still coveted the products (Deisel Clothing and my still beloved Levi’s engineered jeans which I’m still wearing seven years after getting them were toughies for me). From no logo it seems that a whole new raft of logos have emerged where we can declare our principles through the labels we wear. Yup, I’m a sucker for this one as the humble T-shirt has long been one of my most loved forms of self expression – but my motives are fairly pure.
Has the change in consumer conscience and awareness necessitated a change in the ethics and practices of the likes of Starbucks? What does the money we spend on our coffee support? As shown by the photo above, even The Guardian has on a number of occasions of late offered free Starbucks coffee to its readership – and a fairly informed readership at that.
Has Starbucks’ buying power changed the world or is it just a necessary means of further enlarging their empire?
What’s the more ethical thing to do- to boycott the corporation wherever possible and support the local coffee shop instead or to support fairtrade on a truly global scale?
hmmm. there’s a question.
Too often, small, local coffee shops struggle to make ends meet if they are based on 100% fairtrade/ethical/organic produce (or as close to 100% as they can). you might ask if sustainable coffee shops are (ahem) sustainable in our culture.
I hope they are.
So perhaps we are to influence the big fish to swim in a particular way by boosting the proportions of sustainable produce they sell? Does the collective voice get louder that way?
Yup, those are all the things I wrestle with. I started avoiding Starbucks wherever possible after reading No Logo. I occassionally find myself there with clients, but I usually try to steer us somewhere else.
I don’t want to be a Pharisee and I also don’t want to not give people a second chance – after all what is life without grace?
That said, I still feel a bit uncomfortable about the whole thing. Is it just like a corporate “greenwash”?
At the end of the day we can create unhelpful witch hunts or guilt driven consumerism (or lack of). In reality, I just want to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with my God.
B.
So what’s the issue with Starbucks? I know when I was in high school I preferred Costa, but now they do lots of fair trade, use recycled materials for their packaging, do some great things for the local community (like the books for kids), have put money into helping people in the countries where they get their coffee beans and chocolate from.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d rather suppport a local coffee shop (my favourite one being Kilau – local produce, organic, fair trade and local artists!)
But as you say, we can create unhelpful Witch Hunts.
I still remember the day I got on a bus and someone saw I worked for a particular clothing store. I seriously got a 3rd degree, and they’d believed all the hyped up journalism, and actually they didn’t have their facts right. Lots of stuff had been twisted by idealists who don’t understand the complexities of the issue.
Idealists is the wrong word, can’t remember the actual word I wanted to use there!!!
Thanks BK – I can probably guess which shop you used to work for if you got that sort of attitude from someone.
I think the likes of “No Logo” helped to shine the spotlight on certain organisations and their practices and, hopefully, meant that practices had to change and be improved. Hopefully, it raised the issue in the consumers’ minds and showed us all the pressure we can raise through our purchasing (or boycotting) practices.
I also wish the whole thing was easier and more transparent. I don’t sit in judgement on those who shop in certain places or wear certain labels – it’s just I might not wish to associate myself with certain things and I’m just trying to assess whether I should now actively be supporting fairtrade, etc through purchasing in the likes of Starbucks or whether I should maintain a voluntary embargo wherever possible???
The last thing I want is another raft of unhelpful sanctimonious rules and regulations – and yet I want to act justly with a clear conscience and an informed world view.
Peace.
B.
I wish that too. And I guess I have the same struggles. But as a loyal Starbucks customer I was like ‘Oh pants…!’ when I read this post, as I’d never heard of any issues with Starbucks for years.
Hmmmmmm………
Thanks – that’s kinda my issue – am I holding onto a view that is based on outdated information?