In July of last year, Brazilian labor inspectors found people were subjected to slave labor on a Nespresso certified coffee plantation, the Cedro II farm. Both Starbucks and Nespresso source their coffee from Cedro II farm. Nespresso is a Nestlé owned brand that teamed up with Starbucks to produce coffee pods for home brewing.
Despite certificates of “good practice” from Rainforest Alliance, Utz, Starbucks and Nespresso, the Cedro II farm landed on a list of companies in Brazil linked to slavery called the “dirty list.” Eight months after the announcement, Starbucks and Nespresso announced they would no longer source coffee from the farm.
The most recent “dirty list” of 187 employers in Brazil that use people as slaves was published in April of this year. 48 new companies were added to the list, among them was Helvécio Sebastião Batista, another coffee producer. Helvécio Sebastião Batista is also certified with Nespresso and Starbucks quality seals and used to provide coffee for both brands.
This is not the first time slave labor has been exposed at a Starbucks certified coffee plantation in Brazil. In August of 2018, 18 people were found in conditions similar to slavery at the Córrego das Almas farm.
Labor conditions similar to slavery on coffee farms are repeatedly found in Brazil. In 2018, 210 workers were found in slave like conditions. The number of people suffering in these slave-like conditions in Brazil’s coffee industry is at the highest level in more than a decade, according to Brazil’s Ministry of Labor statistics.
Labor conditions similar to slavery on coffee farms are repeatedly found in Brazil. In 2018, 210 workers were found in slave like conditions. The number of people suffering in these slave-like conditions in Brazil’s coffee industry is at the highest level in more than a decade, according to Brazil’s Ministry of Labor statistics.
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