Coffee multinationals profit from forced labor in Brazil, NGO alleges in US complaint

Starbucks sued over complicity in trafficking and forced labor of coffee workers in Brazil

On April 24, 2025, the advocacy group International Rights Advocates (IRA) filed a federal class-action lawsuit against Starbucks. The suit alleges that the global coffee giant knowingly profited from coffee harvested through forced labor in Brazil....

Coffee multinationals profit from forced labor in Brazil, NGO alleges in US complaint

Starbucks, Nestlé, McDonald's and other major brands are allegedly sourcing coffee from Brazilian farms that use forms of slavery, according to the NGO Coffee Watch, which is filing a complaint in the US. In Brazil, the servitude and cruel treatment inflicted on workers remain far from eradicated.

It is estimated that between the 16th century and the end of the 19th century about 12.5 million Africans were forcibly removed from their homelands and taken to the US and Europe to be sold and to perform forced tasks of different kinds. Now that there is much talk about human rights and integration of everyone in everything on our planet there are reports of abuses compared to what was done yesterday with human beings on our planet. Today coff…

Starbucks, Other Coffee Giants Sued Over Alleged Forced Labor in Brazilian Coffee Supply Chain

The New York Times reports that two advocacy groups have filed a pair of legal challenges, alleging that some of the Brazilian coffee purchased by large U.S. brands is produced using forced labor and human trafficking. The post Starbucks, Other Coffee Giants Sued Over Alleged Forced Labor in Brazilian Coffee Supply Chain appeared first on Fresh Cup.