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
This is so sickening n dispictable,,! These beautiful animal don’t deserve to be treated so inhumanly!!! They are raised in such torment n torture in a small space for years no exercise we know it’s $$$ for meat n milk… the lease you can do is let them roam they have feelings like you and your family!
How sad!!!! Humans will get extinct one day very soon… Nature will live again at last!!!
Humans are the most evil and vile creatures and will get theirs in the end. I love all animals I see them I see me.
Amen!!
Except for me and a few others. This is why I am vegan.
I’m so sorry that cows endure a life of misery and abuse their whole lives and end up being slaughtered for meat and leather. It’s sad that their calves are taken away from them after birth, some slaughtered for veal and the milk that is produced is used for human consumption. To add insult to injury, being impregnated with metal rods instead of the natural way. These innocent animals deserve to be treated with care and compassion, and the factory farming industry needs to figure out ways to do this.
Beautifully written 💕
Metal rods, separate the mother caw of her calve, being taken in an horrible slaughter house after a life of suffering, all your life was just cold, brutal, full of pain and we, humans, dare to complain about our problems .. we are so sure of deserving compassion and we’re so unable to give it to innocent creatures… what a sad joke 🙁 There’s only one thing I could imagine being proud of: being vegan
They give subsidies to these industries that are the reason climate change is happening and why zoonotic viruses are jumping from animals to humans. Antibiotics can’t even fight of the diseases they’re getting in those horrid conditions they’re kept it. Everything happening to them is heartbreaking and it’s killing them and us. Animal agriculture needs to go!
If you charge extra for plant milks, you automatically fund and support an EXTREME ANIMAL MISTREATMENT!
STOP this atrocity NOW and charge LESS for plant-milk!
You’re so right, my heart bleeds, it’s horrible, HORRIBLE what these animals have to endure and for what ? plant milks are better tasting, no human needs cow milk. Thank you people for signing, you are light in darkness, I keep hope only because of you
Dear Mr. Johnson,
WHAT ABOUT ELIMINATING ALL THOSE HUMAN BEASTS – THIS WORLD IS PLAGUED WITH CRIMINALS WHO DON’T EVEN DESERVE TO BE ALIVE.
THANK YOU!
TOTALLY AGREE, BUT I ALSO BELIEVE THAT ANY HUMAN WHO CAUSES DEATH, TORTURE OR ANY KIND OF ANIMAL ABUSE NEEDS TO HAVE THE SAME DONE TO THEM SO I SAY SHOVE THOSE RODS UP THE ASSES OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THAT TO THE COWS THAT’S WHAT THE LAW NEEDS TO BE!!!
STOP USING DAIRY!!! USE FLAX MILK, DAMNIT!!!
I believe that charging customers 70 cents more for milk alternatives is a bit pricey and I too urge Starbucks not to up charge customers for alternatives like soy and almond milks.
Now this is a clear and loud message, thank you ! Please, people, at least try plant milk, you’ll be surprised
You are all are so right on about this !
This is sick, gross and I am beyond words.
For God’s sake, stop this greedy,;evil madness now! Stick it up thier wives instead! This is horrible!
Absolutely disgusting & cruel treatment of these beautiful animals
.I had no idea the life of cows was so TERRIBLE —-HELL ON EARTH !
UNLESS WE STOP ANIMAL CRUELTY, MALES JUST CANT FIGURE SAVAGERY OF ALL LIVING THINGS WILL NEVER CEASE. GREED, THE UNDERLYING REASON OF MOST DISTURING BEHAVIORS.
Very cruel!! How is this legal?? Keep us aware of these cruelty stories!
Boycott Starbucks!!
Strip the savage monsters of its human rights and make them endure the exact same torture and see how they like it! Thats justice!
Cow milk belongs to calves, NOT humans! There are great plant based milk alternatives. Cows do not deserve the horrible treatment that they are forced to endure.
Amen….
No animal is to suffer the cruelties as identified; these animal cruelties must be made illegal and banned. I had no idea what these poor cows are made to suffer.
Heartbreaking! I am so sorry these cows ! NO ANIMAL DESERVES THIS!!! I was totally unaware that this cruelty was being given! Something MUST BE DONE TO STOP THIS CRUELTY!!! YOU ARE MONSTERS!!!!!!!
This is barbaric and pure torture. It all must be made illegal all over the world. Any farm caught doing such things must have all their cattle seized and given to sanctuaries. The farms all must be shut down. The owners banned for life from allowing to open another farm anywhere in the world. Each farm must pay a $1 million dollar fine. And each owner sent to prison for life with no early parole.
HORRIBLE, CRUEL, SO SAD!!!! Humanity stinks! I
Agree all comments prod these cunts who do this.
This is why animal “products” should not be consumed. When you buy such “products” you pay for their murder, torture, rape, kidnapping, etc.