Cafédirect

Where it's made

Country conditions from the ITUC Global Rights Index, Global Slavery Index and living wage benchmarks. Certifications and audits can raise a company above its countries' baseline.

Why this grade

• 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)
• Fairtrade certified: Minimum price and premium for farmers; audits for child and forced labour. Minimum price does not always reach a living income.
• Certified B Corp: Whole-company assessment. Labour is one part of the score, so it is supportive rather than proof.
• Certified organic: Organic certification has no labour criteria beyond basics.
• Modern slavery statement
• Invests in worker and farming communities
• Actively empowers workers (ownership, worker committees, union agreements, training)

Cafédirect is a UK company that sells 100% Fairtrade coffee bought from smallholder farmer co-operatives in Latin America, Africa and Asia, and it has been a certified B Corp since 2018 with a score of 123.9. Growers are no longer major owners: the producers' company holds about 4% of shares and nominates producer directors to the board, while the ethical investor Oikocredit is the largest shareholder at about 28%, and a 'Guardian share' held by Oxfam, the producers' company and Oikocredit protects its founding mission. After a £1.7m loss in 2023, following its purchase of Bewley's UK roastery, it cut staff and moved roasting to Yorkshire, returned to profit in the second half of 2025, and has kept paying Fairtrade premiums and funding its sister charity Producers Direct. It names some par