Dunkin'
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
US coffee and doughnut chain also selling packaged coffee and pods.
There's no proof the people who grow its coffee earn more than the legal minimum, which in Brazil is below a living wage, and Dunkin' has no full independent audit.
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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 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 confirmed child or forced labour findings or linksAn unconfirmed report of forced labour is listed below. It doesn't affect the grade.
- 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, partly in countries with poor worker rights
| 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 Dunkin' 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
Dunkin' names some of the countries its coffee comes from: Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru. 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 |
| Honduras | No guarantee of rights | 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 |
| El Salvador | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | High |
| Mexico | Regular violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Nicaragua | No guarantee of rights | 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 |
| 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.
- Invests in worker and farming communities
Research notes Dunkin' says its coffee comes from Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru, but gives no shares or farm list. Only its espresso is fully Rainforest Alliance certified; its target of 100% responsibly sourced coffee by 2025, checked by Enveritas, has no published result. Packaged Dunkin' coffee is made by Smucker, which reports no certified share and scored 34/100 in the 2026 KnowTheChain food and beverage benchmark.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| KnowTheChain | Listed | Packaged coffee maker J.M. Smucker scored 34/100 and ranked 6th of 45 in the 2026 KnowTheChain food and beverage benchmark. View |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Dunkin' packaged coffee is not sold as Fairtrade certified; only Dunkin' espresso is Rainforest Alliance certified. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not covered | Neither Inspire Brands nor Smucker has 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 Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and other origins for child labour. View |
Unconfirmed reports
Credible reports that haven't been confirmed by a regulator, completed investigation or the company. They're shown for your information and don't affect the grade.
- In April 2025 Coffee Watch petitioned US Customs to block Brazilian coffee imports from Dunkin', Starbucks, Nestle and others over forced labour on Brazilian farms; no ruling has been reported. Source
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- KnowTheChain 2026 Food & Beverage Scorecard: J.M. Smucker · search the archive · Smucker scored 34/100, ranked 6 of 45 (2026).
- J.M. Smucker Co. Form 10-K, fiscal 2025 · search the archive · Smucker licenses Dunkin' for packaged coffee and K-Cup pods in retail channels until 2039.
- 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 Central American origins for child labour.
- Dunkin' Original Blend Medium Roast Coffee K-Cup Pods (Amazon Australia) · search the archive · Dunkin' packaged coffee sold online with delivery in Australia; no Dunkin' stores in Australia.
Published by Dunkin' or its owner
- Dunkin': Our Commitment to Coffee · search the archive · Origins Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru; 100% of espresso Rainforest Alliance certified.
- Inspire Brands Impact: Dunkin' responsibly sourced coffee · search the archive · Goal of 100% responsibly sourced coffee by 2025, verified by Enveritas; farmer projects in Honduras, Guatemala, Colombia; no progress figure.
- Smucker 2024 Corporate Impact Report · search the archive · Smucker farmer projects in coffee regions; no responsibly sourced or certified share reported.
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Dunkin' ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/dunkin, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded beans and roasters
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Dunkin'.