Paulig
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
Helsinki coffee roaster.
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 Paulig has no full independent audit.
Better-graded beans and roasters
Graded higher than Paulig, selling the same kinds of things.
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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 unaudited production 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 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 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: Made partly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
| Star | Awarded for |
|---|---|
| Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities |
Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Estimates for its products
Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using Paulig'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
Paulig names some of the countries its coffee comes from: Brazil and Colombia. 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 |
| 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.
- Modern slavery statement
- Invests in worker and farming communities
Research notes Paulig says all its coffee has come from verified sustainable sources since 2018: Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade and organic coffee, plus supplier partnership programmes recognised by the Global Coffee Platform. It gives no share for each. Its 2025 modern slavery statement names Brazil and Colombia as green coffee origins but gives no shares or farm list. It has no living income commitment. A 2016 Finnwatch study linked two farms and a cooperative to Paulig; Paulig said it would review the findings and began supplier audits in origin countries.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Paulig Group publishes annual UK modern slavery statements; the latest covers 2025. View |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Certified | Some Paulig coffees are Fairtrade and organic certified, others Rainforest Alliance; no share of the range is given for each label. View |
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Listed | Coffee from Brazil is listed for child and forced labour, and coffee from Colombia for child labour. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- All Paulig coffees are verified sustainable (Paulig press release, January 2019) · search the archive · Partnership programmes in 12 countries have helped over 100,000 farmers; 100% verified sustainable since 2018.
- Paulig Café Sydney (Crema) · search the archive · Finnish online shop selling Paulig coffee.
- Terms of delivery (Crema) · search the archive · Crema delivers to all EU countries and a list of non-EU countries that includes Australia.
Published by Paulig or its owner
- Paulig Group Modern Slavery Statement 2025 · search the archive · Green coffee from Brazil and Colombia; 2,715 average employees in 2025; 14 factories in six European countries.
- Fair and inclusive way of working (Paulig Group) · search the archive · All Paulig coffee is from third-party certified sources or verified partnership programmes; 95% target for high-risk raw materials by 2030.
- Coffee verified sustainable (Paulig) · search the archive · Buys Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade-organic coffee plus partnership programmes meeting the Global Coffee Platform equivalence mechanism.
- Paulig works consistently for the sustainability of the coffee chain (Paulig, October 2016) · search the archive · Response to Finnwatch on two farms and a cooperative; about 20 supplier audits planned in Brazil, Guatemala and Colombia.
Company details
- Headquarters
- Finland
- Employees
- About 2,715
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Paulig ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/paulig, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency 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 Paulig.