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Story

24 Apr 2025

USA: Starbucks sued over alleged forced labour in Brazilian supply chain

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Repórter Brasil

On 24 April 2024, eight Brazilian workers filed a civil lawsuit against Starbucks in the United States with the support of International Rights Advocates (IRA), alleging they were subjected to trafficking and forced labour by a supplier of the company. The class-action lawsuit, filed before a federal court, claims the workers in the supplier's coffee farms are forced to work under conditions that "U.S. law defines as modern slavery".

In parallel, advocacy group Coffee Watch petitioned the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency to block Brazilian coffee imports from Starbucks and other major companies, including Nestlé, Jacobs Douwe Egberts, Dunkin’, Illy and McDonald’s.

Timeline

  • USA: 8 Brazilian workers sue Starbucks over alleged forced labour by company's supplier
    24 Apr 2025
    Article

    Eight Brazilian workers have filed a civil lawsuit against Starbucks in the USA with the support of International Rights Advocates (IRA), alleging they were subjected to trafficking and forced labour by a Starbuck’s supplier. Simultaneously, advocacy group Coffee Watch has petitioned U.S. Customs and Border Protection to block Brazilian coffee imports from Starbucks and other major companies, including Nestlé, Jacobs Douwe Egberts, Dunkin’, Illy and McDonald’s.

  • USA: International Rights Advocates and Coffee Watch challenge coffee industry leaders over alleged use of forced labour in their Brazilian supply chains
    24 Apr 2025
    Article

    International Rights Advocates (IRA) has filed a federal lawsuit against Starbucks on behalf of eight Brazilian workers who allege they were trafficked and forced to harvest coffee under “slavery-like conditions” by a supplier of the company. In parallel, advocacy group Coffee Watch has petitioned U.S. Customs and Border Protection to block Brazilian coffee imports from Starbucks and other major companies such as Nestle, Jacobs Douwe Egberts, Dunkin', Illy, and McCafé.