Bitter truth: Migrant worker abuse in the production of sugar, cocoa and coffee in Chiapas
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The agroindustry in Chiapas, Mexico’s most southerly state, employs thousands of workers, including migrants from Central America and Indigenous Peoples, in the production of coffee, cocoa and sugarcane. These are among the primary crops produced in the region that supply transnational corporations and source markets in the United States, Belgium, Germany, Colombia, Japan and Singapore.
Agricultural workers cultivating, picking and packing these crops in Chiapas face harsh working conditions and various forms of abuse within a highly informal sector.
This briefing includes:
- Analysis of some of the most prevalent labour rights abuses faced by migrant workers in Chiapas’ agricultural sector, based on publicly reported cases of abuse affecting migrant workers in the region.
- Mapping of the key corporate players in the exportation coffee, cocoa and sugarcane produced in Chiapas, based on research carried out in collaboration wtih Empower.
- Assessment of key companies' publicly available human rights due diligence policies, particularly to prevent forced labour, as well as specific measures to ensure decent working conditions for migrant workers.
- Recommendations for companies and the Mexican government.
Further reading
"Not just a number": Tracking migrant worker abuse in global supply chains 2025
Explore our data on allegations of migrant worker abuse using our interactive tools to find out more about the types of threats migrant workers face, which industries benefit from abuse and which migration corridors are most dangerous for workers.
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