Case Studies

Jacobs Douwe Egberts' assessment of Honduras reveals significant environmental crimes linked to coffee production, specifically illegal deforestation and land degradation. These practices are driven by the expansion of coffee farms into protected areas and forests, exacerbated by weak enforcement of environmental regulations and insufficient monitoring. The report highlights how illegal logging and land conversion for coffee cultivation contribute to the loss of biodiversity and climate change. Moreover, environmental crimes are often tied to broader socio-economic issues, such as land tenure conflicts and the exploitation of indigenous communities. These activities not only threaten the ecological balance but also undermine sustainable development efforts in the region.  

Keywords: Latin America, Honduras, coffee, primary production, environmental crime, illegal deforestation, indigenous rights

Source: https://www.jacobsdouweegberts.com/siteassets/cr/common-grounds---om/origin-issue-assessment---honduras.pdf  

The Verité report on coffee in Africa examines the challenges and issues within the coffee supply chain, focusing on labour rights and social responsibility. It highlights widespread issues such as child labour, forced labour, and poor working conditions among coffee workers across several African countries. These problems are exacerbated by factors like poverty, lack of education, and inadequate labour protections. The report identifies key areas for improvement, including enhancing transparency and accountability throughout the supply chain, strengthening labor laws and enforcement mechanisms, and promoting responsible sourcing practices among coffee buyers and exporters.

Verité calls for concerted efforts to address systemic issues in the coffee sector, ensuring that economic growth benefits all stakeholders fairly and sustainably.

Keywords: Sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, coffee, primary production, labour rights violations, child labour, foced labour

Source: https://verite.org/africa/explore-by-commodity/coffee/

The article titled “Caffeine Jungle: Child labour, struggling farmers found on ‘ethically’ certified coffee farms in southern Mexico” published on ABC News, uncovers the harsh realities behind the ‘ethically’ certified coffee farms in southern Mexico. The investigation by “Impact x Nightline” found evidence of child labour and farmers living in poverty on multiple ethically certified coffee farms. Children as young as 6-years-old were found working on a Rainforest Alliance-certified farm in Chiapas, Mexico in 2021. One boy, aged 12, had been working the harvest for two months without access to a school. This is in violation of Mexico’s minimum age for working, which is 15, and Rainforest Alliance policies that mandate children who live on their member farms must be in school or childcare while their parents work. Adult farmers from other small-scale Rainforest Alliance farms reported struggling to provide enough food for their families. It was not unusual for children to work on the farms and help their families. Fernando Bautista, the Rainforest Alliance’s regional lead for Chiapas, initially claimed that his organization keeps an eye on its farms to ensure that children aren’t working, but when presented with videos and photos of the kids on their farm, he acknowledged that not all of the farms they certify are inspected.

Keywords: Latin America, Mexico, coffee, primary production, child labour, labour rights violations

Source: https://abcnews.go.com/US/caffeine-jungle-child-labor-struggling-farmers-found-ethically/story?id=91735230