FARM Rio, Say No to Exploitation and Slavery!

Rio de Janeiro — 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 – including Coffee Watch, UGT Brasil, and CONTRACS, the retail workers union of FARM Rio – sent a letter to FARM Rio CEO Fabio Barreto Thursday 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.