Jasper Coffee
Partly verifiedJasper Coffee raises serious concerns: workers in Ethiopia, Peru and Colombia are very unlikely to earn a living wage, and unions and workers' rights are heavily restricted in Colombia and Honduras, with no independent audits.
Last researched 9 October 2026
Not doing enough. Workers in the supply chain are likely underpaid, unprotected or in danger, and in the worst cases face forced or child labour. Look for a better-graded alternative. What this grade means
Good: 1 of 5
- Pays a living wage
- Respects worker rights
- Full supply chain audit, or made only in countries with rigorous labour standards
- No child or forced labour findings
- Publishes where its products are made (supplier list, named farms or its own factories)
Great: 1 of 3
- Pays beyond a living wage
- Finds and fixes problems, or invests directly in workers' communities
- Actively empowers workers
Needs all Good requirements plus two of these.
Red flags: 2
- Does not pay a living wage
- Hidden or unaudited supply chain (no certification or documentation, or major production in countries with poor worker rights without independent audits)
Where it's made
| Country | Worker rights | Legal wages | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethiopia 25% | Regular violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Peru 20% | Regular violations | Well below a living wage | Low |
| Colombia 15% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Mexico 10% | Some protections | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Honduras 10% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Kenya 10% | Regular violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Guatemala 10% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
Country conditions from the ITUC Global Rights Index, Global Slavery Index and living wage benchmarks. Certifications and audits can raise a company above its countries' baseline.
Why this grade
- 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.
- Certified B Corp: Whole-company assessment. Labour is one part of the score, so it is supportive rather than proof.
- Invests in worker and farming communities
Jasper Coffee is a family-owned Melbourne roaster founded in 1989 and a Certified B Corp since 2016, with a 2025 score of 97.7. It was the first Australian roaster licensed to sell Fairtrade coffee and supports Ethiopian farmers through a project with World Vision Australia, but Fairtrade and organic coffees make up only part of its range (20 of 69 coffees in each case), and it does not publish prices paid to farmers, named farms or co-operatives for most coffees, or staff numbers. Production shares are estimated from the origins named in its current range (Ethiopia, Peru, Colombia, Mexico, Honduras, Kenya and Guatemala), not from purchase volumes; Nicaragua and Papua New Guinea coffees are also sold but are left out because they are not in the country list.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| B Corp directory | Found | Certified B Corp since 2016 with an overall score of 97.7, up from 90.9 in 2022. View ↗ |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Found | Licensed Fairtrade roaster since 2003, but Fairtrade coffee is only part of its range (20 of 69 coffees). View ↗ |
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Found | Coffee from several of its origin countries, including Guatemala, Honduras, Kenya and Mexico, is on the US Department of Labor child labour list; Jasper itself is not named. View ↗ |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Unclear | No modern slavery statement is published; the company is likely below the A$100m revenue threshold for mandatory reporting. View ↗ |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Unclear | No published allegations involving Jasper Coffee. View ↗ |
Sources (12)
- Jasper Coffee - B Corp directory · archived copy · Certified B Corp since April 2016; overall score 97.7 (earlier 90.9 in 2022, 87.6 in 2018, 84.6 in 2016); Workers score 17.4; partnership with World Vision Australia supporting farmers in the Kochore
- Jasper Coffee home page · archived copy · Says it is certified organic, Fairtrade, carbon neutral and B Corp; sells single origins from Ethiopia, Kenya and Guatemala among others; lists stores in Fitzroy, Prahran Market, Highpoint and its roa
- Our story - Jasper Coffee · archived copy · Founded 1989 in Collingwood by Merilyn Parker and Wells Trenfield; 12 of its 24 shade-grown coffees are Fairtrade Organic certified; organic certified through Australian Certified Organic.
- Meet the coffee growers - Jasper Coffee · archived copy · Names coffees from Ethiopia Sidamo, Peru Cafe Femenino, Colombia Anei, Honduras Copan Ruin, Niugini Okapa and the Yirgacheffe Kochore Project with World Vision Australia; no prices paid are published.
- Why we believe in Fairtrade - Jasper Coffee · archived copy · Calls Fairtrade core to its business; names no co-operatives and gives no Fairtrade volume share or premium amounts.
- Fairtrade Certified Coffee collection - Jasper Coffee · archived copy · 20 Fairtrade products, including origins from Peru, Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Colombia, Mexico and Papua New Guinea.
- Certified Organic Coffees collection - Jasper Coffee · archived copy · 20 certified organic products.
- Coffee collection - Jasper Coffee · archived copy · 69 coffee products in total, so Fairtrade and organic lines are a minority of the range.
- Jasper Coffee - Good On You / Shop Ethical (ethical.org.au) · archived copy · Rated A (updated November 2024); notes that Fairtrade coffee represents only a fraction of total sales.
- Remembering Wells Trenfield, the supreme Fairtrader - Fairtrade ANZ (2024) · archived copy · In 2003 Jasper became the first roaster in Australia licensed to sell certified Fairtrade coffee.
- Jasper Coffee - SEEK company profile · archived copy · Family-owned roaster; no staff numbers published.
- List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor - US Department of Labor · archived copy · Coffee is listed for child labour in countries including Guatemala, Honduras, Kenya, Mexico and Nicaragua.
Last researched 9 October 2026 · details still being verified. Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Represent this company and think something is wrong? A right-of-reply form is coming soon.