Zarraffa's Coffee
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources
Gold Coast-founded coffee chain.
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 Zarraffa's Coffee 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
| 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 Zarraffa's Coffee'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
Zarraffa's Coffee names some of the countries its coffee comes from: Kenya, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Colombia, Peru and Indonesia. 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 |
| Guatemala | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Peru | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Kenya | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Costa Rica | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | 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 |
| Papua New Guinea | We don't have labour ratings for this country yet. | ||
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)
- Invests in worker and farming communities
Research notes Zarraffa's says it buys from an exclusive co-op at the base of Mount Kenya on a trade not aid basis and from partners in Guatemala, Ethiopia, Brazil, Costa Rica and Colombia, plus single origins from Peru, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, but publishes no shares, farm list or prices. It says it is aligned with the Rainforest Alliance, but the registry listing dates from 2015. Its Peru single origin comes from the Fairtrade and organic Jose Olaya cooperative. No modern slavery statement or supplier code was found.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Unclear | No modern slavery statement from Zarraffa's was found on the Australian Modern Slavery Register; it may be below the A$100 million reporting threshold. View |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Only its Peru single origin comes from a Fairtrade-certified cooperative; the main range is not Fairtrade certified. View |
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Listed | Coffee from Brazil is listed by the US Department of Labor for child and forced labour, and from Colombia, Guatemala and Kenya for child labour. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Rainforest Alliance find certified: Zarraffa's · search the archive · Rainforest Alliance listing for Zarraffa's coffee in Australia, last updated 2015
- Zarraffa's returns to Peru single origin (BeanScene, 2025) · search the archive · Peru beans from Fairtrade/organic Jose Olaya cooperative; proceeds funded drying beds
- Zarraffa's Coffee hits 30-year milestone (Franchise Executives, 2026) · search the archive · Still trading in 2026 with 85+ Australian stores; founded 1996 by Kenton and Rachel Campbell; roasts at Eagleby HQ
Published by Zarraffa's Coffee or its owner
- The Roastery (Zarraffa's) · search the archive · Origins Kenya, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Colombia; Mount Kenya co-op, trade not aid; roasted in Eagleby
- Supporting Farmers (Zarraffa's sustainability) · search the archive · Says it is aligned with the Rainforest Alliance; no certified share or origin list
- Our 2025 Year in Review (Zarraffa's) · search the archive · 2025 single origins from Papua New Guinea, Colombia, Peru, Ethiopia and Indonesia
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Zarraffa's Coffee ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/zarraffas-coffee, 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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Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Zarraffa's Coffee.