Starbucks
Partly verifiedStarbucks raises serious concerns: there are reports of forced or child labour in its supply chain, and there are documented abuses of workers. Brazilian labour inspectors rescued workers, including teenagers aged 15 to 17, from slave-like conditions at C.A.F.E. Practices-verified coffee farms in Minas Gerais in 2021 and 2022 (Fazenda Floresta, Mesas, Cedro and Conquista), as documented by Repórter Brasil from inspection reports.
Last researched 7 October 2026
Not doing enough. Workers in the supply chain are likely underpaid, unprotected or in danger, and in the worst cases face forced or child labour. Look for a better-graded alternative. What this grade means
Good: 0 of 5
- Pays a living wage
- Respects worker rights
- Full supply chain audit, or made only in countries with rigorous labour standards
- No child or forced labour findings
- Publishes where its products are made (supplier list, named farms or its own factories)
Great: 1 of 3
- Pays beyond a living wage
- Finds and fixes problems, or invests directly in workers' communities
- Actively empowers workers
Needs all Good requirements plus two of these.
Red flags: 4
- Does not pay a living wage
- Clear breaches of labour conditions
- Hidden or unaudited supply chain (no certification or documentation, or major production in countries with poor worker rights without independent audits)
- Instances of forced, slave or child labour
Where it's made: not disclosed
Showing where coffee products are usually made instead.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal wages | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil 35% | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam 20% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Colombia 10% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia 7% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Ethiopia 7% | Regular violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Honduras 6% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Peru 5% | Regular violations | Well below a living wage | Low |
| Uganda 5% | Regular violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Guatemala 5% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
Country conditions from the ITUC Global Rights Index, Global Slavery Index and living wage benchmarks. Certifications and audits can raise a company above its countries' baseline.
Why this grade
- 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
Starbucks says more than 99% of its coffee comes from supply chains verified under its own C.A.F.E. Practices standard, checked by SCS Global Services, and sources from more than 26 countries across Latin America, Africa and Asia, but it does not publish country shares, a farm list or the prices it pays. It funds farmer loans, support centres and training, but has no published living income commitment. Slave-labour cases at certified Brazilian farms show the verification system has missed serious abuse.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Found | Coffee from Brazil is listed for child and forced labour, and coffee from Guatemala, Colombia, Honduras, Mexico and Kenya for child labour. View ↗ |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Found | Starbucks EMEA Ltd and Starbucks Coffee Company (UK) Ltd publish a UK modern slavery statement (FY2023). View ↗ |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Unclear | No Starbucks statement was identified on the Australian Modern Slavery Register. View ↗ |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Found | Lists allegations on labour conditions at coffee farms in Brazil, Mexico, China and Colombia, including certification kept after a slave-labour case. View ↗ |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Its coffee is verified under its own C.A.F.E. Practices standard rather than Fairtrade. View ↗ |
Confirmed issues
Problems confirmed by a court, regulator, completed investigation or the company itself. Issues more than 15 years old, or 10–15 years old where the company made amends, are removed. Problems a company finds and publishes itself, and is fixing, are shown but don't count against it.
| When | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | The US National Labor Relations Board has repeatedly ruled that Starbucks broke US labour law in its own cafes during the Workers United union campaign, including illegal firings, interrogation and refusal to bargain, with a Board decision as recent as June 2026 (own staff, not supply chain). | Partly Board orders required remedies such as reinstatement and bargaining; a first contract with Workers United had not been agreed by mid-2026. |
| 2022 | Brazilian labour inspectors rescued workers, including teenagers aged 15 to 17, from slave-like conditions at C.A.F.E. Practices-verified coffee farms in Minas Gerais in 2021 and 2022 (Fazenda Floresta, Mesas, Cedro and Conquista), as documented by Repórter Brasil from inspection reports. | Partly One farm was dropped from C.A.F.E. Practices in 2023 and another was later listed as expired; Starbucks has funded the Nossa Voz worker grievance pilot in Brazil. No compensation for the rescued worke |
Unconfirmed reports
Credible reports that haven't been confirmed by a regulator, completed investigation or the company. They're shown for your information and don't affect the grade.
- In April 2025 International Rights Advocates sued Starbucks in US federal court in Washington, D.C. on behalf of eight Brazilian coffee workers, alleging it kept buying from the Cooxupé cooperative despite forced labour findings; Starbucks disputes the claims. Source ↗
- Repórter Brasil reported in 2025 that 81 workers, including a 12-year-old, were rescued from five Cooxupé member farms during the 2025 harvest; Starbucks did not say whether these farms supply it. Source ↗
- A 2020 Channel 4 Dispatches investigation filmed children working on Guatemalan coffee farms linked to Starbucks; Starbucks said it had not bought from those farms in the latest harvest and would not until they were verified. Source ↗
Sources (11)
- Starbucks Fiscal 2025 Global Impact Report · archived copy · Over 99% C.A.F.E. Practices verified; SCS Global verifies; 26+ origins in Latin America, Asia Pacific and Africa; Global Farmer Fund, farmer support centres; Nossa Voz grievance pilot; no country shar
- Starbucks: slave and child labour found at certified coffee farms (Repórter Brasil monitor, 2023) · archived copy · 2022 rescues at Mesas, Cedro and Conquista farms confirmed by labour inspection reports, including teenagers; Starbucks responses
- Farmer says he kept 'Starbucks seal' even after slave labor case (Repórter Brasil, 2025) · archived copy · Fazenda Floresta 2021 rescue of 20 workers; stayed C.A.F.E. Practices certified until July 2024 despite Dirty List inclusion
- Repórter Brasil factsheet: Starbucks (2025) · archived copy · 2023 and 2025 rescues at Cooxupé farms; no compensation reported; Starbucks did not respond
- Labor group sues Starbucks saying it ignores slave-like conditions for workers in Brazil (AP, 2025) · archived copy · International Rights Advocates lawsuit and Starbucks' denial
- NLRB finds Starbucks broke the law again (The Stand, 2026) · archived copy · NLRB Board and ALJ rulings that Starbucks violated labour law against union baristas
- Starbucks, Nespresso stop purchasing from Guatemalan farms employing children (Vending Times, 2020) · archived copy · Starbucks response to Channel 4 Guatemala findings
- The Starbucks traceability tool is not a transparency report (Sprudge, 2020) · archived copy · Starbucks does not publish prices paid or a genuine supplier list
- Starbucks UK Modern Slavery Act statement FY2023 · archived copy · UK modern slavery statement; no supplier list
- US DOL List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor · archived copy · Coffee from Brazil listed for child and forced labour
- BHRRC: Starbucks · archived copy · Allegations on Brazil, Mexico, China and Colombia coffee farms
Last researched 7 October 2026 · details still being verified. Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Represent this company and think something is wrong? A right-of-reply form is coming soon.