Costa Coffee
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
British coffee chain also selling supermarket coffee.
Costa Coffee can't show that the people who grow its coffee in Vietnam and Colombia earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Better-graded café chains
Graded higher than Costa Coffee, selling the same kinds of things.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Costa Coffee? Send a right of reply.
Compare Costa Coffee 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 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 Honduras, 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
| 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 Costa 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
Costa Coffee names some of the countries its coffee comes from: Brazil, Colombia, Honduras and Vietnam. 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 |
| Vietnam | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Colombia | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Honduras | No guarantee of rights | 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 |
| PeruUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| UgandaUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| GuatemalaUsual for the industry | 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)
- Modern slavery statement
- Invests in worker and farming communities
Research notes Costa says all its coffee comes from Rainforest Alliance certified farms, and names Brazil, Colombia, Honduras and Vietnam as blend origins without giving shares or a farm list. Its UK modern slavery statements report audits of high-risk suppliers but, as of 2022, no unannounced audits or remedy policy. The Costa Foundation has built over 100 schools in coffee-growing communities. It has no cafés in Australia; its packaged coffee is sold here online. No labour abuses linked to its suppliers have been reported. Costa publishes no shares by country.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Costa Limited lodges annual UK modern slavery statements, most recently for 2025-26. View |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Costa's coffee is Rainforest Alliance certified rather than Fairtrade. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not covered | Costa has no Australian operations that would require it to report under Australia's Modern Slavery Act. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | Costa is not named in the 2024 Conectas/SOMO report on slave labour in Brazil's coffee supply chain or other recorded allegations. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Costa Limited modern slavery statement summary 2022 (UK register) · search the archive · Audits of 95% of significant-risk suppliers; announced audits only; no remedy policy
- Coca-Cola looks to sell Costa Coffee (Semafor, Oct 2026) · search the archive · Coca-Cola still owns Costa and is exploring a sale
- Costa Signature Blend whole bean (Amazon Australia) · search the archive · Costa coffee beans listed for sale on Amazon Australia
Published by Costa Coffee or its owner
- Responsible sourcing (Costa Ireland) · search the archive · 100% of coffee and hot chocolate from Rainforest Alliance certified farms
- Our coffee blends (Costa Coffee Professional) · search the archive · Blend origins: Central and South America; Brazil, Colombia, Vietnam; Honduras
- Costa Modern Slavery Statement 2025-26 · search the archive · Costa publishes an annual modern slavery statement (2025-26)
- Costa Foundation · search the archive · Over 100 schools and 120,000 children reached in coffee-growing communities in 10 countries
Company details
- Owned by
- The Coca-Cola Company
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Costa Coffee ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/costa-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 Costa Coffee.