Target: Kevin Johnson, CEO of Starbucks Coffee Company
Goal: Stop charging more for cruelty-free milk alternatives at Starbucks.
Not only is Starbucks the lead distributor of coffee in the United States, it is also the largest coffeehouse chain in the world. While the company claims to be committed to the ethical sourcing of its products and upholding animal welfare standards, they do not seem to fully honor this commitment. Though they do offer many alternative options to milk– including oat milk, coconut milk, almond milk, and soy milk–most Starbucks locations charge at least 70 cents more for these options than they do dairy milk. As a result, cow’s milk is the standard option for most, and is used to make all coffees unless otherwise specified by the customer.
Cows produce milk for the same reasons that humans do– to feed and nourish their young. However, unlike with humans, cows on dairy farms do not get the opportunity to feed their babies, as their calves are taken from them shortly after they are born. Instead, calves are fed milk replacer, while the milk initially produced for them is reserved for humans to be put into our morning coffees. To maximize milk production, dairy cows are artificially impregnated with metal rods on an ongoing basis. These cows often spend their lives in sheds feeding from crowded feedlots, and many dairy cows are kept without any access to pastures at all. After five years of this vicious cycle– about when a cow’s milk production slows down– she is shipped off to a slaughterhouse, destined to be made into a hamburger or leather purse.
In addition to its apparent contribution to an international animal welfare crisis, Starbucks’ seeming endorsement of dairy milk poses serious environmental concerns. Cows on dairy and factory farms are major sources of pollution, and the emission of methane during food digestion processes has a notable effect on climate change patterns. Starbucks themselves have even admitted that cow milk from dairy farms constitutes the biggest part of their carbon footprint.
The ramifications of upcharging non-dairy milks for animal welfare and environmental health are vast, and we must do better to reduce our contribution to the suffering of cows and to our world’s changing climate. Sign this petition to urge Starbucks to stop upcharging these alternative milks and to, instead, encourage our nation’s movement away from dairy milk.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Mr. Johnson,
Cows on corporate dairy farms everywhere are forced to endure endless amounts of suffering. These cows live among their own filth, deprived of their natural appetites to graze and roam freely. Most dairy cows will never see a field in their lives. Worst of all, dairy cows face constant physical abuse and are artificially impregnated year after year until eventually being sent off to slaughter. Calves are taken away from their mothers within 24 hours of being born, and the milk intended for them gets harvested and shipped off to supplement our cups of coffee.
These inhumane practices not only cause concern for the welfare of cows on an international level, but also pose severe risks for our environment. The large-scale cultivation of cows facilitates pollution by means of animal waste. The methane expelled from the millions of cows on dairy farms gets trapped in our atmosphere, contributing to changes in global climate, as well as contamination of our air and water.
As a big company with much influence and a large clientele, any action you can take would have major implications.By upcharging only non-dairy milks, you are seemingly coercing the public into choosing an inhumane, unsustainable option to which countless alternatives already are available. We are asking you, Mr. Johnson, to please consider the cows and to stop apparently encouraging the use of dairy milk at your company.
Sincerely,
[Your Name here]
Photo Credit: Gabriela Penela
Step up and do the right thing!!!
STOP GOING TO STARBUCKS.
And STOP DRINKING MILK. I did. Great alternatives out there.
Yeah, you’d better fight for kind treatment of livestock because it won’t be long until women in America are relegated to this designation.
Kevin Johnson, CEO of Starbucks Coffee Company
How in God’s name can you continue to disregard the torture that these sweet innocent cows endure for 5 years ….and then after producing all this milk that was intended FOR BABY COWS get shipped off to slaughter houses!!!!!
Use your position to promote alternative milks by undercharging for all the alternatives. DON’T LET YOUR GREED TAKE OVER WHAT IS HUMANE AND DECENT AND COMPASSIONATE!!! THINK OF ALL THE COWS!!! OR THIS WILL COMEBACK TO BITE.
People that do this and condone these barbaric treatments should get artificially impregnated year after year. KNOWING ALL THIS HOW CAN YOU DRINK MILK! MAN IS A DISGUST!
BAN ALL METAL RODS FOR IMPREGNATING ALL COWS AS WELL AS ALL OTHER ANIMALS!!!!! This is A VERY INHUMANE AND CRUEL TORTURE THAT NEEDS TO STOPPED & BANNED FOREVER FOR ALL ANIMALS IMMEDIATELY!!!!!
Exactly my thoughts. This is just pure torture, and animals “do feel”, it has been proven over and over. I think the one’s that don’t think this is torture and abuse, need to bend over and have the same thing done to them…that will put an end to that, guaranteed.
I had no idea about this hideous procedure. Thank you for enlightening me..
One more reason to give up dairy.
This is humans raping cows. For profit.
The ONLY way to protect animals who are exploited for food, is to be vegan. If you think grazing is important, NOT BEING KILLED is more important.
https://our-compass.org/2022/06/13/usda-releases-years-of-slaughterhouse-records-following-lawsuit/
THINK OF THIS THE NEXT TIME YOU BUY A DAIRY PRODUCT OR ORDER A FUCKING HAMBURGER. MAYBE THEN WE CAN STOP SIGINING THESE PETITIONS DECADE AFTER DECADE!!!!
Amen!
ARE YOU SOMEONE WHO CLAIMS “I LOVE ANIMALS!” AND THEN CONSUME DAIRY AND MEAT???? DON’T BOTHER SIGNING PETITIONS IF YOU DO, BECAUSE YOU’RE THE PROBLEM!!!!
So true. So many hypocrites – they speak with a forked tongue. Speaking of cruelty all the while, consuming milk and meat, hunting…fucking despicable. So glad to be a vegan.
It saddens me immensely and boils my blood. Look at that poor animal – she bleeding from her nose. These motherfuckers who commit such atrocities should be planted on the Ukrainian frontlines and run over by tanks.
Starbucks is complicit in this cruelty and even encouraging it by charging more for plant based milks. Please USE your economic power and global reach to shift away from the heinous cruelty of the dairy industry.
Amen!
We have switched over to oat and almond milk. Simply awesome! You should try it sometime.
don’t go in there I’d like to stick an iron rod up their a…s see how they would like it sick of evil money grabbing humans 👹
If people knew what really went on at the factory farms many would be disgusted and never eat meat.
Sadly, not many people know, or they do know, and choose to push it out of their minds.
So many people insist they are against animal abuse, cruelty, suffering and the inhumane treatment of animals, yet they don’t understand they are actively engaging in and supporting egregious suffering, abuse, cruelty and inhumane treatment when they eat animals and their ‘by-products.’
If you are against cruelty, suffering and inhumane treatment, then try to go vegan. Just start by eliminating one animal that you are eating at a time. Or eliminate all mammals.
It’s just that simple.
We were given animals for food and there’s nothing wrong with meat and milk. But up charging is wrong.
Beyond agonizing and horrific..
Beyond sad lives.
Torture
IT IS BEYOND HORRIFIC TO TRY TO COMPREHEND WHAT THESE INNOCENT ANIMALS MUST ENDURE FOR THESE FUCKING CEO’S LIKE STARBUCKS AND THE REST OF THESE BASTARDS. THEY COULD GIVE A DAM LESS BECAUSE THEY ARE SOOO FUCKING GREEDY WITH THEIR MONEY!! THIS DAMN UNITED STATES IS NO BETTER THAN A FUCKING 3RD WORLD COUNTRY WHEN IT COMES TO ANIMAL RIGHTS. I ONLY HOPE THAT ALL INVOLVED BETWEEN THE BASTARD COMPANIES AND THE THE FUCKING DAIRY FARMS, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN INVOLVED SUFFER A HELLISH AND HORIFFIC LIFE LIFE THAT REMAINS IN THEIR DIGUSTING BODIES. HOFEFULLY SOMEONE SHOVES A BIG HOT ROD UP ALL YOUR ASSES!! ENJOY PRICKS. MAY YOU ALL BURN IN HELL AND DAMN SOON. KARMA CAN BE A BEAUTIFUL THING.