On April 24, 2025, International Rights Advocates filed a landmark class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against Starbucks Corporation on behalf of eight plaintiffs and a proposed class of thousands. The suit alleges that Starbucks profited from a system of modern slavery and human trafficking used to harvest coffee beans in Brazil, particularly through its supplier relationship with Cooxupé, the largest coffee cooperative in Brazil.

The complaint presents detailed evidence that workers—many from historically marginalized Black communities known as Quilombos—were lured by fraudulent promises, then forced to work in debt bondage under inhumane conditions without proper wages, protective equipment, or freedom of movement. The Brazilian government has previously documented these conditions as “analogous to slavery.”

Starbucks has long claimed its coffee is “100% ethically sourced.” This case directly challenges that assertion.