Nespresso Finds Child Labor in Guatemala

Nespresso, makers of coffee pods and brewing machines, discovered child labor at three Guatemalan farms in where it buys coffee, according to a Thomson Reuters Foundation report.

The company, a Nestlè subsidiary, conducted its own investigation after a British television report in February said child labor occurred on farms selling to Nespresso.

On confirming the report, Nespresso announced it was implementing a plan to prevent abuse in the future. Child labor was found at three of 374 coffee farms where Nespresso buys coffee in Guatemala’s central-southern Fraijanes region.

“We have acted quickly not only to investigate the issue but also to implement immediate, concrete actions to address it,” said Guillaume Le Cunff, chief executive of Nespresso, in a statement.

Nespresso said it would double the number of agronomists it employs to monitor local farm conditions, improve a program providing safe spaces for children during harvest season and increase education and awareness programs. It also will create a hotline for reporting suspected violations.

Finally, Nespresso will stop buying coffee from the three farms until they provide evidence that they are complying with International Labour Organization’s child protection requirements, according to the foundation’s report.