Brazilians Sue Starbucks Over Alleged 'Slavery-Like' Conditions at Coffee Supplier

"John" was just days from turning 16 when he was allegedly recruited to work on a Brazilian coffee farm that supplies Starbucks.

- Tiago Rogero

Soon after his birthday, he embarked on a 16-hour bus journey to the farm in the state of Minas Gerais - only to discover that none of what he had been promised would be fulfilled.

Unpaid and without protective equipment such as boots and gloves, he worked under a scorching sun from 5:30 am to 6 pm with only a 20-minute lunch break, until he was rescued in a raid by Brazilian authorities last June. A report from that operation concluded that John had been subjected to "child labour in hazardous conditions", and that he and other workers had been "trafficked and subjected to slavery-like conditions".

This week, John and seven other Brazilian workers - all identified simply as John Doe 1-8 for fear of retaliation - filed a civil lawsuit in the US against the global coffeehouse chain, with the support of International Rights Advocates (IRA), seeking financial compensation for the harm they allege to have suffered.