Caribou Coffee
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources
Minneapolis coffeehouse chain also selling bagged coffee and pods.
Caribou Coffee can't show that the people who grow its coffee in Colombia and Ethiopia earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Better-graded café chains
Graded higher than Caribou Coffee, 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 unaudited production 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 rightsSome of its coffee is grown in countries such as Colombia and Indonesia, 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: Made partly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
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 Caribou Coffee'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
Caribou Coffee names some of the countries its coffee comes from: Brazil, Burundi, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Rwanda, El Salvador and Tanzania. 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 |
| Ethiopia | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Honduras | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Guatemala | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Peru | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Burundi | No guarantee of rights | Not rated | Moderate |
| Costa Rica | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Kenya | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Mexico | Regular violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Nicaragua | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Rwanda | Regular violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| El Salvador | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | High |
| Tanzania | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Low |
| 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. (partly offset by certification or direct sourcing)
Research notes Caribou says all its coffee has been Rainforest Alliance certified since 2012 and maps 16 origin countries: Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Peru, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, India and Indonesia, with no shares. It relies on certification audits and added a supplier code in 2023, but publishes no labour findings, prices or living income work. Since 2024 JDE Peet's, now owned by Keurig Dr Pepper, roasts and sells its packaged coffee.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Caribou's coffee is Rainforest Alliance certified rather than Fairtrade. View |
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Listed | Several of Caribou's origins are on the US Department of Labor list: coffee from Brazil for child and forced labour, and from Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Kenya for child labour. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- 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 for child labour
- Caribou Coffee roasting part of Keurig Dr Pepper's $18B Peet's deal (Star Tribune, 2025) · search the archive · Cafés stay with Panera Brands (JAB); JDE Peet's runs Caribou roasting and bagged coffee; KDP buying JDE Peet's
- Keurig Dr Pepper completes deal for JDE Peet's (Food Business News, 2026) · search the archive · KDP completed purchase of 96.22% of JDE Peet's by April 2026; coffee business spin-off targeted for end 2026
- Caribou Coffee K-Cup pods (Amazon Australia) · search the archive · Caribou coffee sold online in Australia; no Australian cafes
Published by Caribou Coffee or its owner
- Caribou Coffee 2023 ESG Report · search the archive · 100% Rainforest Alliance coffee since 2012; map of 16 origin countries; supplier code 2023; JDE Peet's licence March 2024; 800+ cafés
- 2022 Caribou Coffee ESG Progress Report · search the archive · Not direct trade; relies on partners like Unitrade; child labour and living income not addressed; Coffee Care scholarship
Company details
- Owned by
- JAB Holding (Panera Brands); packaged coffee licensed to JDE Peet's (Keurig Dr Pepper since 2026)
- Headquarters
- United States
- Employees
- About 6,875
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Caribou Coffee ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/caribou-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 Caribou Coffee.