Hudsons Coffee
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources
Melbourne café chain with about 100 outlets.
Hudsons Coffee can't show that the people who grow its coffee in Ethiopia and India earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Also worth knowing
It 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 India, 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: Hidden supply chain, partly in countries with poor worker rights
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 Hudsons 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
Hudsons Coffee says which countries its coffee comes from, but doesn't name the farms or co-operatives.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Ethiopia | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Peru | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Tanzania | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Low |
| Uganda | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Costa Rica | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Low |
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.
Research notes Hudsons names the origins of its three blends: Peru, Costa Rica, Ethiopia and Tanzania; Ethiopia, Uganda, Brazil and India; and Peru alone, described as ethically harvested. It gives no shares, farms or roaster. No current Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance certification is claimed; an older guide (about 2014) said Fairtrade beans were available only on request. Emirates Group entities in Australia publish modern slavery statements, but none found covers Hudsons or its coffee.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Unclear | Emirates Group entities in Australia lodge modern slavery statements, but none found names Emirates Leisure Retail or Hudsons Coffee. View |
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Listed | Coffee from Brazil, one of its named origins, is listed for child and forced labour. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- World Vision Good Coffee Guide · search the archive · Older guide (about 2014): Fairtrade beans available on request only
- US DOL List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor · search the archive · Coffee from Brazil listed for child and forced labour
- Hudsons Coffee (Wikipedia) · search the archive · Acquired in 2009 by Emirates Leisure Retail (Australia), part of the Emirates Group
Published by Hudsons Coffee or its owner
- Hudsons Coffee: Now Roasting · search the archive · Origins of its three blends; no shares, roaster or certification named
- Hudsons Coffee: Why we're here · search the archive · Owned by Emirates Group since 2009; about 100 stores across Australia plus Changi and Auckland airports
- dnata Catering & Retail Modern Slavery Statement FY2024 · search the archive · Emirates Group catering entities' statement names coffee as a risk; does not cover Hudsons
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Hudsons Coffee ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/hudsons-coffee, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
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Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Hudsons Coffee.