back

Coffee giants use child labor

Your daily coffee isn't just hurting your wallet — it's also hurting thousands Guatemalan children. ☕

Starbucks and Nespresso/Nestle were caught red handed

Child labor is endemic almost everywhere that coffee is grown in the plantation system. For your cup of coffee, children as young as 8 in Guatemala are forced to work for less than $6 a day. Starbucks and Nestlé-owned brand Nespresso were exposed by a new investigation, by UK Channel 4’s Dispatches which revealed the coffee giants are taking coffee beans from farms using child labor in Guatemala.

Child labor is endemic almost everywhere that coffee is grown in the plantation system

“Starbucks and Nespresso/Nestle were caught red handed doing what all of us in this field of corporate accountability know that they do. We have been chasing these companies for years, both in coffee and in cocoa. And they've yet to learn their lesson clearly this day and age. And in 2020, they just got caught again with major signs of child labor in their supply chain. You can see that the children are hauling these massive 50, 60, 70 pounds sacks of coffee beans that look like the bag weighed as much as the kid. And they're also picking beans on the side of mountainous plantations, which is itself very dangerous”, Terrence Collingsworth, International Rights Advocates tells Brut.

Actor George Clooney, who sits on Nespresso’s sustainability advisory board, also saw backlash following his statement about the allegations

The Dispatches team visited 12 farms linked to Starbucks and Nespresso in Guatemala – the largest coffee producer in Central America. Child labor was found on all the farms. While Nespresso and Starbucks claim their products are ethically sourced – the revelations also raise questions about certification. The coffee giants condemned the practice and said they’ll stop purchasing from farms employing children. Fairtrade International and Rainforest Alliance both confirmed they’ll continue working with the companies.

Brut.

03/09/2020 8:02 PM
  • 11.5k
  • 22

And even more

  1. 4:06

    Jails face coronavirus in close quarters

  2. 9:03

    The life of Idris Elba

  3. 4:02

    Coronavirus: Helping the homeless

  4. 5:12

    Rebuilding hope for the homeless

  5. 8:58

    The rise and fall of Harvey Weinstein

  6. 7:07

    Winning the battle against Ebola in the DRC

19 comments

  • Miguel R.
    03/10/2020 18:05

    The coffee I drink is native. Puerto Rican coffee.

  • Steven B.
    03/10/2020 14:40

    My uncle as a kid started off in a butcher shop 5 days a week 8 hours a day for $8 a week gotta start somewhere.

  • Walter B.
    03/10/2020 10:37

    When I grew up , we all worked for very little money,this is how you start . It's better than no money.

  • Lance d.
    03/10/2020 05:09

    Always blaming the consumer for buying what's packaged and put on shelves. Show this video to the conglomerates who monopolize off of this labor

  • Lourdes F.
    03/10/2020 01:44

    Not mine. Mine is made in Cuba and I buy it in brick form and brew it in my Cuban percolator.

  • Billy D.
    03/09/2020 23:50

    Im pretty sure the coffee I drink wasn't made via commission of labor crimes. Thats quite an assertion. Most vendors if not ALL Are vetted. You know the whole fair trade thinggie. Not to mention I have friend thats owns business amd travel's to country of origin. If you have a specific company then name them otherwise...

  • Anabell H.
    03/09/2020 23:11

    this is sad

  • Pauline G.
    03/09/2020 22:05

    , alors ton Frappuccino mocha cookie ?

  • Peter A.
    03/09/2020 21:52

    In most third and fourth world countries, everyone works for the family. That is not happening in more prosperous countries. Just the facts, life is not fair. This is an insolvable situation.

  • Linda C.
    03/09/2020 21:49

    Really? Are we now responsible for the work force outside our borders!?

  • Radhe D.
    03/09/2020 21:01

    Wow wow... never again.. every chain.. outlet shouls knw abt this.. i never want to see a ever!

  • Carol M.
    03/09/2020 20:54

    The government needs to stop all child labor. And pay the adults a living wage.

  • Meriem R.
    03/09/2020 20:54

    if people stop buying coffee, those children will starve to death ! Or work for cheaper 🤷🏻‍♀️Personally I don’t drink coffee...

  • Candy A.
    03/09/2020 20:50

    I buy fair trade coffee.

  • Julio G.
    03/09/2020 20:40

    I guess iam suppose to stop drinking coffee now

  • Hunter D.
    03/09/2020 20:28

    Bring awareness to the deforestation as well

  • Brut
    03/09/2020 20:17

    Learn more about Channel 4's documentary here: https://www.channel4.com/press/news/dispatches-starbucks-and-nespresso-truth-about-your-coffee

  • Jamie F.
    03/09/2020 20:15

    How about target the governments that allow this stuff to happen instead of the regular people that buy it

  • Marcus B.
    03/09/2020 20:13

    I'll drink 4 more cups