Starbucks responded to the recent commentary, Is Starbucks “Coffee That Cares?” by Oxford Marketing Professor Douglas B Holt. The response was sent to Coffee Politics from Sandra Taylor, Senior Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility. I regard Starbucks' willingness to engage in discussion as a positive step. Both sides are entitled to their assertions regarding Ethiopia’s trademark initiative. Nevertheless, the matter central to the debate is left out of Starbucks’ discussion, as they do not address all of the issues raised in Dr. Holt’s commentary. I also found some of the comments made by Starbucks misleading and deceptive, if not outrageous. I have inserted my observations under each segment categorized by Starbucks as “Fiction” and “Fact.” My observations are colored darker to keep the integrity of Starbucks’ messages intact. If you are new, start from here . ------------ Starbucks and Ethiopia: Fact vs. Fiction We would like to respond to an essay by Douglas Holt, “...