Canadians invited to join proposed class-action lawsuit against Starbucks over ethical sourcing claims

Canadians who have purchased coffee at Starbucks could be part of a proposed class-action lawsuit against the U.S. coffee chain.

Quebec-based Actis Law Group announced a proposed class action against Starbucks for its alleged "misleading representations regarding ethical sourcing and '100% Arabica' coffee." The notice comes after a similar class-action lawsuit was filed against Starbucks in the U.S.

Through its packaging, website, and public reports, Starbucks promotes its coffee as "100% Arabica coffee" and claims to be "committed to 100% ethical coffee sourcing" through its Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.) Practices verification program. However, the proposed lawsuit alleges that investigations by journalists, labour organizations, and human rights monitors have found that some farms certified under Starbucks' C.A.F.E. Practices program were still associated with serious labour issues, such as unsafe working conditions, violations of local labour laws, and inadequate housing.

The lawsuit also alleges that independent testing of certain decaffeinated products detected volatile organic compounds, including methylene chloride, benzene, and toluene, which may be inconsistent with Starbucks' claims about its coffee composition.

Canadians who purchased Starbucks coffee products during the relevant period could be eligible to join. Since the lawsuit is still in the proposal stage, no action is needed yet, but interested parties can sign up on the Actis Law Group website to receive updates.

In 2024, Quebec law firm LPC Avocats filed a separate class-action lawsuit against Starbucks, Second Cup, and Tim Hortons, alleging that the companies acted in "bad faith in gouging consumers" by charging $0.50 to $0.80 for non-dairy substitutes.