A total of approximately eight Madison residents protested in front of two Starbucks Coffee locations, 661 State St. and 1 E. Main St., Tuesday.
The protesters alleged that Starbucks uses genetically engineered ingredients in some of its products and refuses to brew Fair Trade coffee. Fair Trade coffee is produced by workers who earn the living wage.
About 300 other U.S. cities and several other nations such as the United Kingdom and Australia had similar protests aimed to coincide with the company's annual shareholder's meeting in Seattle.
But in response to the concerns, Starbucks said in a statement Tuesday it does not use any genetically modified materials in its products with one exception which has since been reformulated.
But some protesters outside the Starbucks on East Main Street, said they were also trying to voice their opinions about the fact that the company's status as a large corporation hurts Madison.
UW-Madison graduate student John Peck, who protested in front of both Madison Starbucks, said he believes the corporation is one of the worst coffee shop chains in the world.
\We're hoping that Starbucks will see the light and stop being such an irresponsible corporate leader in the coffee shop field,"" he said.
Protester Paul O'Leary said the city has many locally owned coffee shops that people should opt to use instead.
""We don't need a big multi-national taking money out of the community,"" he said.
Peck said one thing residents can do if they want to support Fair Trade and organically grown products is support these smaller companies.
""Vote with your dollars, don't support corporate chain stores that are destroying the downtown Madison,"" he said.
Peck said he has traveled to Costa Rica and saw its coffee plantations, where he realized the importance of Fair Trade.
""All the pesticides being used, stuff running off into the streams, people getting sick from pesticide exposure and then you drink that in your coffee, it's just like, 'Boy, I'd much rather have organic Fair Trade coffee,'"" he said.
But in Starbucks' statement, the company said it offers an organic milk alternative in all of its stores.
""While consumer demand for organic milk in our stores continues to be very minimal, we are committed to provide this alternative milk source to our customers who desire it for the foreseeable future,"" it said.
In addition, Starbucks said it is in the process of expanding its Fair Trade coffee, and since October 2000 all of its chains have Fair Trade products available upon request.
Since October 2001 Starbucks has also agreed to expand its Fair Trade program by purchasing 1 million pounds of Fair Trade coffee over the next 12 to 18 months.
