Two days ago Starbucks confirmed that by the end of this month, they plan to nix high fructose corn syrup, artificial dyes and colors from their bakery menu items.  With a new target market in mind, the health conscious consumer, they’ll also offer more salad selections.  The transition has been gradual, most recently adding healthier alternatives like oatmeal for breakfast.  With this announcement, I can’t help but wonder if they’ll ever go organic.  And I’m not alone; the Organic Consumer Association has been calling on Starbucks to make the change for years.  They even have a sample script online for consumers who want to call and urge the chain to make such changes. 

One month ago, Starbucks launched their new ”No Compromises Coffee Values” campaign in response to McDonald’s and Dunkin Donuts cheaper coffee offerings and loss of sales due to consumers counting pennies.  The campaign urges consumers to consider the quality of Starbucks coffee and how they treat their workers.  I say, if they really want to make a difference, it’s time for them to consider sourcing organically grown and fairly traded beans.  Afterall, the peddler and purveyor of all things coffee revolutionalized how and where people enjoy coffee.  Starbucks could have a big impact on the industry and truly set themselves apart from their competition while substantially  contributing towards the reduction of pesticides used on conventionally grown coffee beans, which is apparently one of the most heavily sprayed crops (up there with cotton).

If you’re trying to save money by brewing your own at home and won’t settle than anything less than organic, Newman’s Own Organics Coffee or Green Mountain Fair Trade Organic Coffee are great choices. 

Image credit: Keija on flickr