U.S. Watchdog Groups Challenge Brazilian Coffee Imports Over Forced Labor Allegations

A growing movement led by Coffee Watch and International Rights Advocates is pushing for the U.S. government to take action against Brazilian coffee sourced under conditions akin to slavery, specifically targeting well-known brands like Starbucks and Nestle.

Two legal petitions filed with U.S. authorities have brought to light serious allegations regarding the practices involved in coffee production in Brazil, where instances of forced labor have been likened to modern-day slavery. The nonprofit Coffee Watch has urged the Trump administration to halt imports of coffee that it asserts are harvested under such deplorable conditions. The watchdog has named major players in the industry, including Starbucks, Nestle, Dunkin’, Illy, McDonald’s, and Jacobs Douwe Egberts, as potential beneficiaries of these unethical practices.

Etelle Higonnet, founder and director of Coffee Watch, highlighted that the issue is systemic rather than isolated, affecting millions of individuals trapped in dire poverty and thousands in outright slavery. The request for intervention follows shortly after International Rights Advocates took legal action against Starbucks. They filed a lawsuit in federal court on behalf of eight Brazilians who allegedly endured trafficking and labor in what they claim are "slavery-like conditions." The legal action aims to certify a class representing thousands of workers similarly affected while harvesting coffee for a significant Starbucks supplier, the Cooxupé cooperative.

Terry Collingsworth, the human rights attorney behind the lawsuit, expressed that it is essential for Starbucks to be held accountable for echoing a much larger problem related to trafficking and forced labor in Brazil. As the world's largest coffee producer, Brazil's practices are now under heightened scrutiny, signaling a potential shift in corporate responsibility and consumer awareness regarding ethical sourcing in the coffee industry.