Jamaica Blue
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
Australian franchised café chain in shopping centres.
Jamaica Blue publishes no certification, independent audit or supplier list.
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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 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 its coffee is 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
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 Jamaica Blue'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
Jamaica Blue names some of the countries its coffee comes from: Jamaica. The rest is shown as where coffee is usually grown.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jamaica | Regular violations | Not rated | Moderate |
| BrazilUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| ColombiaUsual for the industry | 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 |
| HondurasUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well 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.
Research notes Jamaica Blue says its beans are sourced from the Jamaican Blue Mountains, but the brand has no farm in Jamaica and reporting suggests it buys only small amounts of Blue Mountain coffee, so the origins of most of its coffee are not disclosed. A 2018 Costa Rican single origin was Rainforest Alliance certified, but no current certification, supplier list or modern slavery statement from Foodco has been published.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Unclear | No modern slavery statement from Foodco or Jamaica Blue appears on the Australian register; whether Foodco meets the reporting threshold is not public. View |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | No Fairtrade certification is claimed for Jamaica Blue coffee. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | No allegations about Jamaica Blue's coffee supply chain were identified. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Jamaica Observer: Jamaica Blue takes the Blue Mountain coffee brand global (2022) · search the archive · Australian Foodco franchise with little link to Jamaica; buys a few barrels of Blue Mountain coffee.
- Australian Food News: Jamaica Blue launches new coffee (2018) · search the archive · Costa Rica single origin from Coope Tarrazu was Rainforest Alliance certified in 2018.
- IBISWorld: Foodco Holdings Pty Ltd · search the archive · Foodco is a private proprietary company owning Muffin Break and Jamaica Blue.
- Business Franchise Australia: Jamaica Blue sustainable store design (2025) · search the archive · Foodco is parent of Jamaica Blue; signature blend and seasonal single origins; no certification named.
- Jamaica Blue (Wikipedia) · search the archive · Owned by Foodco Group Pty Ltd, which also owns Muffin Break; cafés in several countries.
Published by Jamaica Blue or its owner
- Jamaica Blue: Why join us · search the archive · Foodco Group owns and operates Jamaica Blue; franchise cafés across Australian states, New Zealand and internationally.
- Jamaica Blue menu · search the archive · Beans described as sourced from the Jamaican Blue Mountains; no certification mentioned.
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Jamaica Blue ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/jamaica-blue, 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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Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Jamaica Blue.