Brazilian Coffee Workers File Lawsuit Against Starbucks

This shocking accusation has surfaced in a new lawsuit against the coffee giant Starbucks.

A labor rights group called International Rights Advocates has just filed a case in a U.S. court, alleging that Starbucks buys coffee from a huge group of farms in Brazil where workers are treated like slaves.

They’re not just making this story up. The eight Brazilian coffee farm workers who brought the case, while scared to be identified, state that illustrative Brazilian authorities have found those farms repeatedly guilty of violating laws against trafficking and forced labor.

These workers were brought to the farms under the promise of good pay and decent work, but it turned out to be a nightmare. They were shoved into filthy accommodations, and farm owners deducted most of their meager wages for expenses such as transport to the farms, food, and tools they needed for their work.

Terry Collingsworth, founder of the International Rights Advocates and a lawyer for the farmers, says, “People are paying crazy prices for a Starbucks coffee that might have been picked by people treated like slaves. This time, it’s the turn of Starbucks to answer for profiting out of human trafficking.”

“Starbucks is serious about making sure our coffee is sourced ethically, and that includes helping to protect the rights of the people who work on the farms we buy from,” said the statement by the company.