An in-depth look at labor conditions in Guatemala’s coffee industry, uncovering indicators of forced labor that lie behind one of the world’s most celebrated exports.
Through interviews with coffee workers across major growing regions, this study identifies multiple forced labor indicators—such as debt bondage, withheld wages, deception, and intimidation—particularly affecting Indigenous and migrant workers. It details how poverty, limited oversight, and exploitative recruitment practices intersect to create systemic risks in both large plantations and smaller farms. The report also explores how gender, ethnicity, and informality shape vulnerability, and how stronger protections, fair trade practices, and effective inspections could reduce exploitation within global coffee supply chains.
Coffee, Guatemala
