Toby's Estate
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
Sydney specialty 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 Toby's Estate 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 Guatemala, 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 Toby's Estate'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
Toby's Estate names some of the countries its coffee comes from: Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama and El Salvador. 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 |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Colombia | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Guatemala | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Costa Rica | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| Panama | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| El Salvador | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | High |
| 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 |
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)
- Modern slavery statement
- Direct trade (self-reported)
- Invests in worker and farming communities
Research notes Toby's Estate buys from 11 main origin countries, 7 directly, and says over 80% of its green coffee is imported directly; it names producers in Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia and visited suppliers in Brazil in 2025, but gives no shares by country. Its owner's statement says 97% of green coffee bought in 2025 was certified, without separating Toby's own purchases. Prices paid to farmers and wage levels are not published.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Covered by UCC Coffee Australia's joint modern slavery statement; 2025 statement reports no modern slavery found and 97% of green coffee purchases certified. View |
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Listed | Coffee from Brazil is listed for child and forced labour, and coffee from Colombia, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico and Kenya for child labour. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- US DOL List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor · search the archive · Coffee from Brazil listed for child and forced labour; Colombia and others for child labour
- Toby's Estate Woolloomooloo (Broadsheet) · search the archive · Toby's Estate runs its own cafes in Australia
- Clayton Utz advising Suntory on A$229m sale of fresh coffee business (2022) · search the archive · Toby's Estate sold by Suntory to UCC Holdings in 2022
Published by Toby's Estate or its owner
- Beantrotters (Toby's Estate) · search the archive · Over 80% of green coffee imported directly; named producers in Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia
- About us (Toby's Estate) · search the archive · Founded 1997; invests in social and environmental projects chosen by producer communities; own and partner cafes
- UCC Coffee Australia Modern Slavery Statement 2025 · search the archive · Toby's Estate: 11 origins, 7 direct; 97% of group green coffee certified; 2025 visits in Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia, Brazil; no cases found
- UCC Coffee Australia Modern Slavery Statement 2022 · search the archive · UCC ANZ owns 100% of Toby's Estate Coffee Pty Limited
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Toby's Estate ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/toby-s-estate, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
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Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Toby's Estate.