Seven Seeds
Good. Shows the people who make its products are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 6 sources
Melbourne specialty coffee roaster.
Seven Seeds buys directly from named farms and publishes the prices it pays.
Also worth knowing
It gets most of its coffee from 14 countries, including Brazil and Colombia.
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Why it's graded Good
- Met: Meets all 5 Good requirements.
- Met: No red flags.
| Star | Awarded for | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Pays above a living wage | Not earned | |
| Gives workers a real voice | Not earned | |
| Open supply chain | Not earned | |
| Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities | 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 (direct trade with published prices)
- Met: Respects worker rights
- 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
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listNames the farms it buys from
Red flags 0
None found.
Where its coffee is grown
From Seven Seeds's own disclosure: it names the farms it buys from. Its list covers only part of its range. 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 |
| 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 |
| Uganda | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Bolivia | Regular violations | Not rated | Moderate |
| Burundi | No guarantee of rights | Not rated | Moderate |
| Kenya | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Nicaragua | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Panama | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Rwanda | Regular 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) Source
- Direct trade with published prices
- Direct trade (self-reported)
- Built around direct trade with named farms or producers
Research notes Seven Seeds names the producers behind each coffee and publishes FOB and farmgate prices for every lot, as it has since 2018 as part of Transparent Trade Coffee. Its FY25/26 impact report covers 48 coffees from 40 producers and farming groups in 15 countries, with origins including Bolivia, Brazil, Burundi, Colombia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Kenya, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Rwanda and Uganda; it gives no volumes by country. It holds no Fairtrade or similar certification and says nothing about wages of hired farm workers.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Its coffees carry no Fairtrade certification; it buys through named producers and exporters instead. View |
| B Corp directory | Not listed | Seven Seeds is not a Certified B Corp. View |
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Listed | Coffee from Brazil, one of its origins, is listed for child and forced labour, and coffee from Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras and Kenya for child labour; the brand itself is not named. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not covered | No modern slavery statement is lodged; the business is likely below the A$100 million revenue reporting threshold. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor (US Department of Labor) · search the archive · Coffee from Brazil listed for child and forced labour; Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras and Kenya for child labour
- Seven Seeds case study (Square) · search the archive · Co-founders Mark Dundon and Bridget Amor; buys directly from farmers; Fairfield roastery and own cafés
Published by Seven Seeds or its owner
- Impact Report FY 25/26 (Seven Seeds) · search the archive · 48 coffees from 40 producers and farming groups in 15 countries; FOB and farmgate prices published for every lot
- Transparency: business as usual (Seven Seeds) · search the archive · FOB and farmgate prices published for every coffee since August 2018; member of Transparent Trade Coffee
- About (Seven Seeds) · search the archive · Sources, imports and roasts coffee from the Americas, Africa and Asia; close producer relationships and origin visits
- Seven Seeds coffee range (sevenseeds.com.au) · search the archive · Coffees sold under named producers (Ethiopia, Uganda, Colombia, Brazil, Peru) and exporters such as Caravela; no certifications shown
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Seven Seeds ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/seven-seeds, 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 Seven Seeds.