Black Rifle Coffee Company
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
Veteran-founded US coffee brand selling ground, whole bean and canned coffee.
Black Rifle Coffee Company can't show that the people who grow its coffee in Colombia and Guatemala earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Also worth knowing
It has no full independent audit.
Better-graded beans and roasters
Graded higher than Black Rifle Coffee Company, selling the same kinds of things.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 5 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and a hidden, unaudited supply chain in high-risk countries. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- 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 rightsMost of its coffee is grown in countries such as Colombia and Guatemala, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- 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 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain, mostly in countries with poor worker rights
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 Black Rifle Coffee Company'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
Black Rifle Coffee Company names some of the countries its coffee comes from: Colombia, Brazil, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Kenya. The rest is shown as where coffee is usually grown.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Colombia | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Guatemala | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Nicaragua | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Kenya | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| EthiopiaUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| HondurasUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| PeruUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| UgandaUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Far 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.
Research notes BRC Inc. says most of its green coffee comes from Colombia, Brazil and Nicaragua, with more from over ten unnamed countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia; its website also names Guatemala, and one roast is from Kenya's Nyeri Hill Estate. It gives no country shares, supplier or farm list, certifications, supplier code or human rights due diligence for coffee farms, and publishes no modern slavery statement. It roasts in Manchester, Tennessee and uses co-manufacturers.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Black Rifle coffee carries no Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance or other farm certification. View |
| KnowTheChain | Not covered | BRC Inc. is too small to be included in the 2026 KnowTheChain food and beverage benchmark. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not covered | BRC Inc. has only US operations and no Australian reporting entity under the Modern Slavery Act. View |
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Listed | Coffee from Brazil is listed for child and forced labour, and coffee from Colombia and Nicaragua for child labour. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- BRC Inc. Form 10-K, fiscal 2025 · search the archive · Most green coffee from Colombia, Brazil and Nicaragua plus 10+ other countries; 468 US employees; roasts in Manchester, TN.
- US DOL List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor · search the archive · Coffee from Brazil listed for child and forced labour; Colombia and Nicaragua for child labour.
- BRC Inc. company profile (Yahoo Finance) · search the archive · Salt Lake City company selling coffee via grocery, Outpost shops and e-commerce.
- Black Rifle Coffee Just Black K-Cups (desertcart Australia) · search the archive · Black Rifle coffee offered online with delivery to Australia.
Published by Black Rifle Coffee Company or its owner
- Black Rifle Coffee: Our Coffee · search the archive · Names Guatemala, Brazil and Kenya's Nyeri Hill Estate; no certifications or direct trade claim.
Company details
- Owned by
- BRC Inc. (NYSE-listed)
- Headquarters
- United States
- Employees
- About 468
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Black Rifle Coffee Company ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/black-rifle-coffee, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Black Rifle Coffee Company.