Pellini Caffè
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 3 sources
Family-owned Verona coffee roaster.
Pellini Caffè can't show that the people who grow its coffee in Ethiopia and Peru earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Also worth knowing
It 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 Guatemala and Colombia, 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 Pellini Caffè'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
From product labels; Pellini Caffè doesn't say where its coffee is grown. The rest is shown as where coffee is usually grown.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| BrazilUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Ethiopia | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Peru | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Guatemala | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Mexico | Regular violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| ColombiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| HondurasUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| UgandaUsual for the industry | 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.
Research notes Pellini says it selects beans from plantations around the world but names no origin countries, farms or suppliers, and publishes no sustainability report, supplier code or labour standards. Retailer listings for its organic Arabica line give beans from Peru, Mexico, Ethiopia and Guatemala; the main range carries no Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance certification. No Australian retailer or distributor stocking Pellini was identified.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not covered | Pellini has no known Australian reporting entity and does not appear on the Australian Modern Slavery Register. View |
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Listed | Coffee from Mexico and Guatemala, both named origins of its organic line, is listed by the US Department of Labor for child labour. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 3
Show all 3 sources
- Pellini Organic Coffee Beans 100% Arabica (MaxiCoffee) · search the archive · Organic line uses beans from Peru, Mexico, Ethiopia and Guatemala, roasted in Italy
- Pellini products on PriceSpy NZ · search the archive · Pellini sold by New Zealand online retailers; no Australian stockist found
Published by Pellini Caffè or its owner
- Pellini Caffè official website · search the archive · Founded in Verona in 1922; directed by Pellini Holding S.p.A.; capsules 80% recycled aluminium; no named origins or certifications
Company details
- Headquarters
- Italy
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Pellini Caffè ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/pellini, 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 Pellini Caffè.