We were incredibly concerned about the allegations made by the Dispatches documentary, aired Monday 2 March 2020. Protecting children from exploitation and ensuring they are able to learn is of paramount importance to us, and that’s why we have zero tolerance for child labor. It is unacceptable. That’s also why, whenever there are claims that our high standards are not met, we act immediately.
Unfortunately, Nespresso’s ability to act immediately has been severely compromised by Dispatches, Channel 4 and their continual refusal to help Nespresso identify the farms they visited. This is extremely concerning given that this is a child safeguarding issue. Without this specific information, Nespresso has taken clear and immediate action that puts the protection of child welfare first.
Nespresso’s response and action plan has been immediate:
- They have immediately stopped purchases of coffee from all farms in the region and will not resume purchases until they have finished an investigation and can be assured that child labor is not being used.
- They will double the number of agronomists that they have on the ground in the region.
- They will implement unannounced visits to check on compliance on social and labor issues.
- They commit that they will continue to pay significant premiums for AAA coffee, which last year contributed to Nespresso paying the highest coffee prices in this region.
Through the investigation, any issues that are uncovered will be dealt with diligently and firm action will be taken.
All of the farms in the cooperatives in this region of Guatemala are Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade International certified. We rely on these organizations to certify compliance with all laws relating to child labor. On top of this, Nespresso’s 400 agronomists worldwide made 170,000 farm visits, many of which are unannounced. Nespresso will continue to engage with our partners to improve and strengthen the certification process.
We know that economic factors are a major driver in child labor. That is why Nespresso pays a premium to farmers for their AAA coffee. Paying a premium price for coffee improves the economic and social aspects of farming families and reduces a significant factor in the use of child labor. In fact, Nespresso pay the highest prices for coffee in the region of Fraijanes.
Nespresso are making significant efforts to address child labor and protect the children in the coffee farming communities they work with, and they will continue to do so.
How do you address reports of child labor on coffee farms in Guatemala that supply Nespresso?
We were incredibly concerned about these allegations. Protecting children from exploitation and ensuring they are able to learn is of paramount importance to us, and that's why we have zero tolerance for child labor. It is unacceptable. Visit our Nespresso site to find out more about our action plan to address these child labor allegations in Guatemala.
