- On 30 October, NGOs including Coffee Watch and International Rights Advocates (IRAdvocates) filed BAFA complaints against Nestle, AmRest (operator for Starbucks in Germany) and Dallmayr under the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act. The complaint has not been shared publicly, this post is based on the press release.
- The NGOs cite previous reports and evidence which claim serious human rights violations including child and forced labour, on coffee farms supplying these companies in China, Mexico, Brazil and Uganda. The supporting reports and evidence are not linked in the press release, however we were able to identify some.
Specific allegations
- China – Reports by China Labor Watch and Coffee Watch allege child labour with children as young as 12, lack of protective gear, discrimination, and wage cuts on coffee farms certified under Starbucks’ C.A.F.E. Practices program.
- Mexico – A joint report by Coffee Watch, Empower, and ProDESC documents widespread labour abuses and systemic exploitation of Indigenous farmers through unfair pricing and monopolistic market practices leading to debt. The report links these abuses to Starbucks and Nestle’s supply chains.
- Brazil – Multiple reports and US litigation – also launched by IRAdvocates and supported by Coffee Watch – allege human trafficking and slave-like conditions on farms supplying the Cooxupé cooperative, which provides coffee to Starbucks, Nestlé, and other global brands.
- Uganda – Workers at the Kaweri Coffee Plantation report child labour, sexual harassment, unsafe conditions, lack of protective equipment, and wages under €2 per day; the farm supplies Dallmayr and Lavazza via Neumann Kaffee Gruppe.