Arvid Nordquist
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 3 sources
Family-owned Swedish coffee roaster selling ground and whole bean coffee.
We couldn't confirm where Arvid Nordquist gets most of its coffee.
Also worth knowing
Most coffee is grown in countries such as Brazil and Vietnam, where pay is usually below a living wage.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 5 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 1 of 5
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsJudged on where coffee is usually grown: worker rights are poorly protected in Brazil, Vietnam and Colombia.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
Red flags 1
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Estimates for its products
Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using Arvid Nordquist's evidence and, where it has product lines, that line's countries. They're estimates: we don't know which factory made any single item.
- A product carrying the Fairtrade mark: Good
Holding one? Scan its barcode for an estimate that uses its care label or ingredients.
Where its coffee is grown
We couldn't confirm where Arvid Nordquist gets most of its coffee, so this shows where coffee is usually grown.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 35% | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | 20% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Colombia | 10% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia | 7% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Ethiopia | 7% | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Honduras | 6% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Peru | 5% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Uganda | 5% | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Guatemala | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: coffee is on the US Department of Labor child or forced labour list for over a dozen countries, and farm-gate prices often fall below a living income. (partly offset by certification or direct sourcing)
Research notes Arvid Nordquist says all its coffee has been certified since 2014, mostly Rainforest Alliance or Fairtrade with a smaller 4C share, but gives no share for each label. In 2024 about 2,900 tonnes of Fairtrade and organic coffee paid about SEK 41 million in premiums. It buys coffee from 18 countries but names none or their shares. Suppliers sign the amfori BSCI code of conduct, but no audit results are published, and it has no living income commitment.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Certified | Some Arvid Nordquist coffees, such as Classic Selection, are Fairtrade certified; others carry Rainforest Alliance or 4C instead. View |
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Listed | Coffee from Brazil, a major coffee origin, is listed for child and forced labour. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 3
Show all 3 sources
- Rainforest Alliance: Arvid Nordquist · search the archive · Certified coffee sold in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden; no Australian sale or delivery listed.
Published by Arvid Nordquist or its owner
- Arvid Nordquist sustainability report 2024 · search the archive · 100% certified coffee (Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade, some 4C); 18 origin countries; family-owned; SEK 41m Fairtrade premiums.
- Arvid Nordquist sustainability presentation · search the archive · 100% sustainably certified coffee since 2014; no origin shares given.
Company details
- Headquarters
- Sweden
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Arvid Nordquist ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/arvid-nordquist, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
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Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Arvid Nordquist.