"FARM Rio, Say No to Exploitation and Slavery!", June 4, 2025

Following a blockbuster set of legal actions alleging slavery-like conditions in Starbucks’ Brazil supply chain, a coalition of prominent nongovernmental organizations, labor unions, and human rights groups are demanding ethical Brazilian retail brand FARM Rio end its partnership with the coffee giant or make the partnership conditional on major reforms.

Over a dozen organizations from around the world…sent a letter to FARM Rio CEO Fabio Barreto…detailing mounting evidence of serious human rights violations in Starbucks’ supply chains in Brazil and beyond — including allegations of slavery, child labor, and union busting.

The letter is the latest in escalating international pressure for FARM Rio to end its partnership with Starbucks. On…June 2, Brazilian workers rallied and protested outside FARM Rio stores in protest of the partnership. “

Starbucks faces serious allegations about child labor and other severe human rights violations in its coffee supply chains in China, Mexico, Guatemala, and numerous other countries….Furthermore, Starbucks has refused to sign a fair contract with its unionized workers in the United States where thousands of baristas face retaliation for demanding basic rights such as fair wages, breaks and workplace safety,” reads the letter.

The letter outlines disturbing evidence, including: a 2025 Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act lawsuit filed on behalf of eight Brazilian workers trafficked and forced to harvest coffee sold to Starbucks’ main supplier; a Section 307 Petition filed by Coffee Watch urging U.S. Customs and Border Protection to ban imports of Brazilian coffee linked to forced labor in Starbucks' supply chains; reports of child labor, deforestation, and exploitation in Starbucks’ sourcing from countries including China, Mexico, and Guatemala; and over 100 active complaints filed by U.S. workers accusing Starbucks of union busting and labor law violations, currently under federal prosecution.