Forced Labor Taints Brazilian Coffee, Say Complaints to U.S. Authorities

A U.S. watchdog calls for action against coffee imports from Brazil due to alleged forced labor akin to slavery, urging major companies including Starbucks, Nestlé, Dunkin', Illy, McDonald’s, and Peet’s to halt their sourcing of Brazilian coffee. The group, Coffee Watch, accuses these firms of using human trafficking or brutal working conditions in producing the world's top coffee export, with its founder emphasizing systemic exploitation affecting millions. Meanwhile, another group has sued Starbucks over alleged slavery-like conditions for victims trafficked into Brazil.