Café Bustelo
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
Latin-style US coffee brand selling dark-roast espresso coffee.
Café Bustelo publishes no certification, independent audit or supplier list, and we couldn't confirm where it 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.
Better-graded beans and roasters
Graded higher than Café Bustelo, selling the same kinds of things.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Café Bustelo? Send a right of reply.
Compare Café Bustelo with another brand
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 supply chain. 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 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 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain: no certification, independent audits or supplier list
| Star | Awarded for |
|---|---|
| Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities |
Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Estimates for its products
Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using Café Bustelo'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 Café Bustelo 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.
- Invests in worker and farming communities
Research notes Café Bustelo names no coffee origins, farms or certifications; its Origin Blends say only that beans come from Latin American farms. Owner Smucker buys all its green coffee abroad but publishes no source countries, certified share, supplier list or living income target for its coffee brands. Its impact report describes farmer training projects in Indonesia, Vietnam, Central and South America and East Africa. Smucker scored 34/100 in the 2026 KnowTheChain food and beverage benchmark, down 13 points from 2023.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| KnowTheChain | Listed | Owner J.M. Smucker scored 34/100 and ranked 6th of 45 in the 2026 KnowTheChain food and beverage benchmark, down 13 points from 2023. View |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Café Bustelo coffee is not sold as Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance certified, and Smucker reports no certified share. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not covered | Smucker has no Australian operations required to report 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 several other origins for child labour. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- KnowTheChain 2026 Food & Beverage Scorecard: J.M. Smucker · search the archive · Scored 34/100, ranked 6 of 45 (2026), down 13 points; no supplier list or sourcing countries for risky commodities.
- J.M. Smucker Co. Form 10-K, fiscal 2025 · search the archive · Smucker coffee brands include Café Bustelo; green coffee sourced solely from foreign countries; no countries named.
- US DOL List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor · search the archive · Coffee from Brazil listed for child and forced labour.
- Cafe Bustelo Espresso Ground Coffee 10oz (USA Foods Australia) · search the archive · Café Bustelo sold by an Australian online importer with Australia-wide shipping.
Published by Café Bustelo or its owner
- Café Bustelo official website · search the archive · Brand owned by The J.M. Smucker Company; no origin countries, certifications or sourcing details given.
- Origin Blends Latin Coffee (Café Bustelo) · search the archive · Origin Blends made with beans from farms of Latin American countries; no countries or certifications stated
- Smucker 2024 Corporate Impact Report · search the archive · Farmer projects with HRNS (Sumatra), coffee&climate, TechnoServe MOCCA, Enveritas (Vietnam); no responsibly sourced share.
Company details
- Owned by
- The J.M. Smucker Company
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Café Bustelo ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/cafe-bustelo, 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 Café Bustelo.