Paul McCartney Targets Starbucks Over Price of Plant-Based Milk

Paul McCartney is targeting Starbucks over the price of its plant-based milk, and PETA is at his side. The former Beatle issued an open letter to the coffee company, with PETA’s help, chastising the business for adding surcharges to the price of plant-based milk. Please note: PETA and McCartney’s statement contains some graphic language regarding the treatment of animals.

“Ahead of his upcoming tour stop in Seattle, where Starbucks is based, Sir Paul McCartney is asking the company to end its surcharge on plant-based milks,” begins a statement on PETA’s website. “In a just-sent letter, the longtime PETA ally urges CEO Kevin Johnson to leave a parting gift for cows and the planet by arranging to end the chain’s vegan milk upcharge before he retires on April 4.” For his part, McCartney writes, “My friends at PETA are campaigning for this. I sincerely hope that for the future of the planet and animal welfare you are able to implement this policy.”

“It recently came to my attention that Starbucks in the USA has an extra charge for plant-based milks as opposed to cow’s milk,” McCartney continued, per the NY Post. “I must say this surprised me.” He then noted that in the U.K. this is not a business practce. “I would like to politely request that you consider this policy also in Starbucks USA,” McCartney asked.

PETA goes on to state, “Unlike Johnson, cows in the dairy industry don’t get a happy retirement. Instead, they’re repeatedly and forcibly impregnated-workers insert an arm into the animals’ rectum and a metal rod to deliver semen into their vagina-and then sent to slaughter when their bodies give out. And while Johnson is enjoying the twilight of his life, Starbucks will be fueling the climate catastrophe that will imperil future generations’ chance to do the same, as cow’s milk is Starbucks’ biggest contributor to its carbon footprint.

The statement goes on to read, “Sir Paul points out that numerous chains (including Philz Coffee, Panera Bread, and Pret A Manger) offer dairy-free milk at no extra charge-and that even Starbucks in the U.K. recently dropped its vegan milk surcharge.” PETA added that McCartney’s full letter is available upon request. At this time, it does not appear that Starbucks has issued a statement on the letter.