Complaints against Brazilian coffee harvesting practices reveal potential human rights abuses, prompting a petition to halt imports. Prominent companies, including Starbucks and Nestle, are named in the efforts to advocate for accountability.
Forced Labor Allegations Resurface in Brazilian Coffee Supply Chain
Forced Labor Allegations Resurface in Brazilian Coffee Supply Chain
A watchdog group has urged the U.S. government to intervene and block coffee imports from Brazil, citing forced labor and human trafficking concerns linked to major retailers.
On April 24, 2025, pressing concerns regarding the coffee supply chain from Brazil have come to light, as accusations of forced labor echo through corporate corridors in the United States. A petition submitted to Customs and Border Protection by the nonprofit organization Coffee Watch asserts that some Brazilian coffee production is linked to conditions resembling modern slavery. The demand for U.S. action specifically targets recognizable brands such as Starbucks, Nestle, Dunkin’, Illy, McDonald’s, and Peet’s owner Jacobs Douwe Egberts, alleging their reliance on these questionable sources.
“This isn’t just about isolated incidents,” stated Etelle Higonnet, founder of Coffee Watch. “We are illuminating a pervasive system that ensnares millions in severe poverty, with countless others subjected to actual slavery.” The petition comes amid growing scrutiny for the coffee industry’s ethical sourcing practices, especially alongside a concurrent lawsuit from International Rights Advocates against Starbucks. That lawsuit, initiated on behalf of eight Brazilian workers allegedly trafficked under horrendous conditions, seeks class-action status to represent thousands of similar victims tied to a major supplier of Starbucks and the Cooxupé cooperative.
Terry Collingsworth, a human rights attorney leading the charge, emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, “Starbucks must face up to its complicity in this vast trafficking and forced labor network in Brazil.” As stakeholders in the coffee business navigate these serious allegations, the implications for both the industry and consumer choices could be profound.
