Single O
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources
Sydney specialty coffee roaster.
There's no proof the people who grow its coffee earn more than the legal minimum, which in Colombia is well below a living wage, and Single O 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 doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
- 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
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 Single O'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
Single O names some of the countries its coffee comes from: Bolivia, Colombia, Ethiopia and Peru. 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 |
| Colombia | No guarantee of rights | Well 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 |
| Bolivia | Regular violations | Not rated | 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 |
| 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. (partly offset by certification or direct sourcing)
- Direct trade (self-reported)
Research notes Single O says it buys most of its coffees directly from estates, farms, co-operatives and washing stations, topped up through exporters and importers, and said in 2025 that it pays farmers about 2.28 times the commodity price on average. Its current single origins come from Bolivia, Colombia, Ethiopia and Peru, but blends name no origins and it publishes no farm list, per-lot prices or country shares. It became a Certified B Corp in 2025. No labour abuses linked to its supply chain have been reported.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| B Corp directory | Certified | Single O was certified as a B Corp in April 2025 with a score of 90.7 (Workers 24.6, Community 22.4). View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not covered | Single O is below the A$100 million revenue threshold for Australian modern slavery reporting and has not lodged a statement. View |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Single O does not sell Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance certified coffee; it buys specialty lots directly and through exporters and importers. View |
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Listed | Coffee from Colombia and several other Latin American and African origins is listed for child labour. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Single O (B Lab directory) · search the archive · Certified B Corp April 2025, score 90.7; cafés in Sydney, Brisbane and Tokyo; supports World Coffee Research.
- US DOL List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor · search the archive · Coffee from several Latin American and African origins listed for child labour.
- Single O celebrates 20 years with free coffee (BeanScene) · search the archive · Founded 2003 in Surry Hills as Single Origin Roasters; shares producer information with customers.
- Australia's Single O heralds sustainability progress with B Corp certification (World Coffee Portal, 2025) · search the archive · B Corp score 90.7 (2025); pays farmers about 2.28 times the C price
Published by Single O or its owner
- Sourcing coffee at Single O · search the archive · Most coffees sourced directly, topped up via exporters and importers; no farm list, prices or countries
- Single O shop · search the archive · Current single origins from Colombia, Bolivia, Peru and Ethiopia; blends name no origins
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Single O ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/single-o, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
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Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Single O.