La Colombe
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources
Philadelphia roaster known for its canned Draft Latte.
There's no proof the people who grow its coffee earn more than the legal minimum, which in Brazil is below a living wage, and La Colombe 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 countries such as Colombia and Honduras, 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 La Colombe'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
La Colombe names some of the countries its coffee comes from: Brazil, Colombia, Honduras and Mexico. 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 |
| Colombia | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Honduras | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Mexico | Regular violations | 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 |
| 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 La Colombe does not publish where most of its coffee comes from, what it pays farmers or any certification beyond some organic coffees; its single-origin range names Mexico (Chiapas), Brazil, Colombia and Honduras, while its blends and canned drinks give no origin. Its supply-chain transparency statement is Chobani's: suppliers must follow a code of conduct and some must complete a SMETA social audit every two years. It is not sold in Australia: its online shop offers US shipping and no Australian stockist was found, though it registered an Australian trade mark in 2026. No country shares are given.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Listed | Coffee from Colombia and Mexico is listed for child labour; La Colombe does not say how much it buys from each origin. View |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | La Colombe does not describe its coffee as Fairtrade or otherwise labour-certified. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- IP Australia trade mark 2608645: LA COLOMBE COFFEE WORKSHOP · search the archive · Australian trade mark registered to LCT OpCo LLC in 2026; no Australian retail found
- US DOL List of Goods (coffee entries) · search the archive · Coffee from Colombia and Mexico listed for child labour
- Chobani buys La Colombe Coffee for $900 million (Daily Coffee News, 2023) · search the archive · Chobani acquired Philadelphia-born La Colombe for $900 million in December 2023; 32 cafes in seven markets
Published by La Colombe or its owner
- La Colombe home page · search the archive · Free shipping offered on US orders; organic range; Waymaker is a Colombian single origin
- Single-Origin Coffees - La Colombe · search the archive · Single origins from Mexico (Chiapas), Brazil, Colombia and Honduras; no producer, pay or certification details
- California Transparency in Supply Chains Act statement (La Colombe / Chobani) · search the archive · Chobani statement covering LCT OpCo: Sedex membership, SMETA audits every two years for certain suppliers, supplier code
Company details
- Owned by
- Chobani
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is La Colombe ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/la-colombe, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded beans and roasters
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent La Colombe.