Kicking Horse Coffee
Good. Shows the people who make its products are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
Canadian roaster selling organic whole bean and ground coffee.
Kicking Horse Coffee gets its coffee from nine countries, including Colombia and DR Congo, and publishes a modern slavery statement.
Also worth knowing
Its coffee is Fairtrade certified, which comes with a minimum price for farmers and audits for child and forced labour.
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Why it's graded Good
- Met: Meets all 5 Good requirements.
- Met: No red flags.
- Met: Earns 3 stars for going above and beyond.
| Star | Awarded for | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities | Earned | |
| Pays above a living wage | Not earned | |
| Gives workers a real voice | Not earned | |
| Open supply chain | Not earned |
3 stars for the first way it goes above and beyond, and one more for each further way, up to 6. About stars
Good requirements 5 of 5
- Met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: strong fair-pay scheme (Fairtrade)
- Met: Respects worker rights
- 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.
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listFully certified by Fairtrade, which holds and audits the list of farms. Kicking Horse Coffee doesn't publish its own.
Red flags 0
None found.
Where its coffee is grown
Kicking Horse Coffee is fully certified by Fairtrade, which holds and audits its list of farms.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colombia | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| DR Congo | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Timor-Leste | Regular violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Honduras | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Nicaragua | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Peru | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Uganda | 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. (partly offset by certification or direct sourcing)
- Modern slavery statement
- Invests in worker and farming communities
Research notes All Kicking Horse coffee is Fairtrade (audited by FLOCERT) and certified organic. Its 2024 Canadian supply chain report names origins in Colombia, DR Congo, Timor-Leste, Honduras, India, Nicaragua, Peru, Sumatra (Indonesia) and Uganda but gives no shares, and reports no forced or child labour cases. It says it has paid C$35.8 million in Fairtrade and organic premiums since 2021, relying on the Fairtrade Minimum Price rather than a living income commitment.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Certified | Fairtrade licensee since 1998; has bought only Fairtrade and organic coffee since 2007, from cooperatives in Peru, Honduras and Nicaragua among others (Fairtrade Canada, 2024). View |
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Listed | Coffee from Colombia, Honduras, Nicaragua and Uganda, all origins Kicking Horse names, is on the US list of goods made with child labour. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not covered | Has no Australian entity; it files an annual report under Canada's forced and child labour supply chains law instead (2024). View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Baptist World Aid does not rate coffee companies in its Ethical Fashion or Electronics reports. 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.
- Group-level, not Kicking Horse coffee: Repórter Brasil reported in 2022 that Lavazza had bought from Brazilian cooperative Cocatrel after inspectors freed 24 workers from slave-like conditions on a member farm in 2021; Lavazza called Cocatrel a marginal supplier and said it was investigating. Source
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Kicking Horse Coffee: Celebrating 30 Years of Fairtrade Canada (2024) · search the archive · Fairtrade licensee since 1998; exclusively Fairtrade and organic since 2007; named cooperatives in Peru, Honduras, Nicaragua
- Multinational coffee companies continue buying from suppliers linked to slave labour (Repórter Brasil, 2022) · search the archive · Lavazza linked to Cocatrel, whose member farm had 24 workers freed in 2021
- US DOL List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor · search the archive · Coffee from several of Kicking Horse's origin countries listed for child labour
- Kicking Horse Coffee Three Sisters (Amazon.com.au) · search the archive · Sold online to Australian buyers via Amazon Australia
- Lavazza statement on the Repórter Brasil investigation (2022) · search the archive · Lavazza says Cocatrel is about 1% of its Brazilian purchases and is under review
Published by Kicking Horse Coffee or its owner
- Kicking Horse Coffee Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Report (2024) · search the archive · Lavazza-owned, 136 staff; origin countries; 100% Fairtrade and organic; C$35.8m premiums since 2021; no cases disclosed
- Kick Ass coffee product page · search the archive · All beans Fairtrade and organic; origins Indonesia, Central and South America
Company details
- Headquarters
- Canada
- Employees
- About 136
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Kicking Horse Coffee ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/kicking-horse, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Good means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Kicking Horse Coffee.