Keurig
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
US brand of single-serve coffee brewers and K-Cup pods.
Keurig scored 19/100 in the 2026 World Benchmarking Alliance Social Benchmark, and workers in Vietnam and Colombia are very unlikely to earn a living wage.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 5 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 3 red flags: no evidence of a living wage, unaudited production in high-risk countries and a failing or very low rating (WBA Social Benchmark 19/100 in 2026). Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record: the most serious problem on its record (forced labour, last recorded in 2022) was found by its own checks and is being fixed.
- 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.
- Checks its own supply chain. Keurig looks for problems in its own supply chain and publishes what it finds. It found forced labour in 2022 and is fixing it, so it doesn't count against the grade. It's listed below under Confirmed issues.
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 Indonesia, 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 it isn't fixingIts own checks found forced labour, which it is fixing. That's listed below and doesn't count against 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 3
- 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
- Red flag: Failing or very low score on an independent rating: WBA Social Benchmark 19/100 (2026)
| Star | Awarded for |
|---|---|
| Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities |
Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where its coffee is grown
These are Keurig Dr Pepper's coffee origins across all its brands; Keurig doesn't say where its own coffee is grown. 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 |
| Ethiopia | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia | 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 |
| UgandaUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Mexico | Regular violations | 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.
- Modern slavery statement
- Invests in worker and farming communities
Research notes Keurig Dr Pepper says 97% of its coffee was responsibly sourced in 2025 through programmes such as Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance and 4C, from 22 origins including Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Peru and Mexico, but gives no shares or farm list. Brewers are made by contract manufacturers in China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand that must follow the RBA code; audits there found recruitment fees. KDP has no living income or living wage commitment. It bought JDE Peet's in 2026 and plans to split off its coffee business, including Keurig, as Global Coffee Co. in early 2027.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| KnowTheChain | Not listed | KDP is not among the 45 companies in the 2026 KnowTheChain food and beverage benchmark; it scored 25/100 in the 2023 edition. View |
| Corporate Human Rights Benchmark (World Benchmarking Alliance) | Problem found | Keurig Dr Pepper scored 19/100 in the World Benchmarking Alliance 2026 Social Benchmark, as listed by Ethical Consumer Australia. View |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Certified | Some KDP coffee is Fair Trade certified, alongside Rainforest Alliance and 4C; no share is given for Fair Trade alone. 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 Kenya for child labour; all are KDP origins. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not covered | Keurig has no Australian operating entity lodging statements; KDP reports under Canadian law. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Not assessed in Baptist World Aid's Ethical Fashion or Electronics reports. View |
Confirmed issues 1
Only confirmed problems are listed, and old ones drop off after 10 to 15 years. A problem the company has fully put right no longer counts against it, and nor does one it finds and is fixing itself. How problems are counted
| Last recorded | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | KDP's own audits found 18 cases of recruitment fees at brewer and appliance suppliers in 2020-2022, with about 407 workers paying around US$13,435 (KDP modern slavery statement, 2023). Source · search the archiveFound and being fixed by the company Not counted against the grade while the company is actively fixing it, because it found and published it itself. | PartlyKDP says 62% of the fees had been repaid to workers by March 2023; it has not reported full repayment. |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- KnowTheChain 2023 Food & Beverage scorecard: KDP · search the archive · KDP scored 25/100 in the 2023 KnowTheChain food and beverage benchmark
- Dr Pepper Snapple Group (Baptist World Aid) · search the archive · KDP 25/100 in KnowTheChain 2023; WBA Social Benchmark 19/100 (2026); acquired JDE Peet's in 2026.
- Keurig Dr Pepper Form 8-K exhibit (June 2026) · search the archive · JDE Peet's deal closed; separation into Global Coffee Co. and Beverage Co. targeted for early 2027.
- US DOL List of Goods (coffee entries) · search the archive · Coffee from Brazil listed for child and forced labour; Colombia and others for child labour
- Keurig K-Mini coffee maker (Amazon Australia) · search the archive · Keurig brewers and pods sold online on Amazon Australia; no Australian retail distribution
Published by Keurig or its owner
- KDP Modern Slavery Statement (Canada, 2023) · search the archive · 22 coffee origins; Fair Trade, RA, 4C; brewer suppliers in Malaysia, China, Indonesia, Thailand; RBA code; 18 recruitment fee cases, 62% repaid
- Keurig Dr Pepper 2025 Impact Report · search the archive · 97% responsibly sourced coffee in 2025; 10,061 coffee farmers and workers supported; JDE Peet's acquired April 2026
Company details
- Owned by
- Keurig Dr Pepper
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Keurig ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/keurig, 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 Keurig.