“Slavery has no place in your morning cup”, 24 April 2025

...International rights advocates filed a landmark lawsuit against Starbucks on behalf of eight Brazilian workers who were allegedly trafficked and forced to harvest coffee under conditions U.S. law defines as modern slavery.

In partnership, advocacy group Coffee Watch petitioned U.S. Customs and Border Protection to block Brazilian coffee imports from Starbucks and other industry leaders including Nestle, Jacobs Douwe Egberts, Dunkin', Illy, and McCafé...

The suit alleges that Starbucks profited from a system of modern slavery and human trafficking used to harvest coffee beans in Brazil, particularly through its supplier relationship with Cooxupé, the largest coffee cooperative in Brazil.

The complaint presents detailed evidence that workers—many from historically marginalized Black communities known as Quilombos—were lured by fraudulent promises, then forced to work in debt bondage under inhumane conditions without proper wages, protective equipment, or freedom of movement. The Brazilian government has previously documented these conditions as “analogous to slavery.”

Starbucks has long claimed its coffee is “100% ethically sourced.” ...