In brief
A nonprofit group has urged U.S. authorities to block coffee imports reportedly produced using forced labor in Brazil, while a lawsuit filed against Starbucks seeks justice for trafficked workers in the coffee industry.
On April 24, 2025, a coalition of advocacy groups intensified their efforts to combat forced labor in the Brazilian coffee industry, known for being the world’s largest coffee exporter. They petitioned the Trump administration to halt imports of coffee alleged to be harvested under conditions akin to modern slavery. The nonprofit organization Coffee Watch led this charge, specifically naming major U.S. retailers such as Starbucks, Nestlé, Dunkin', Illy, McDonald’s, and Peet's owner Jacobs Douwe Egberts.According to Coffee Watch’s founder, Etelle Higonnet, the issue transcends individual instances of exploitation, reflecting a larger system that ensnares millions in poverty and subjects many to conditions of slavery. The petition urges U.S. Customs and Border Protection to cease any imports that, whether in whole or part, are linked to human trafficking and forced labor.Simultaneously, the International Rights Advocates filed a lawsuit against Starbucks, representing eight Brazilian workers who experienced forced labor. Human rights attorney Terry Collingsworth stated that the suit, aiming to become a class action on behalf of numerous others similarly exploited in coffee production, demands accountability from Starbucks due to their reliance on certain suppliers linked to these human rights violations. Collingsworth emphasized that "a massive trafficking and forced labor system" exists in Brazil, from which Starbucks profits.
