Only a year ago, stories about supply chains were seldom featured in the media. As we arrive at the close of 2021, news stories focusing on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on supply chains is provided daily, and reports in the media have made consumers increasingly aware of where the goods they purchase come from, how they are made, and who works to harvest, produce, and deliver those goods.
As part of Verité’s ongoing work to improve labor practices in the Latin American coffee sector under the U.S. Department of Labor-funded Cooperation on Fair, Free, Equitable Employment (COFFEE) Project, this year we are launching pilot projects in three key coffee producing countries — Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico.
Verité research has found that the use of labor brokers (including village-level agents, recruiters, labor contractors, and crew leaders) is widespread throughout the Latin American coffee sector, including in Brazil.
Typically at the end of a year, we at Verité ask ourselves two questions: 1) What did we do to further our vision of a world where people work under safe, fair, and legal conditions?, and 2) How did we fulfil our mission to provide the knowledge and tools to eliminate the most serious labor and human rights abuses in global supply chains?
This year, we answer these questions considering both how we have met the issues the pandemic presents and how we have fulfilled our mission despite the pandemic. Please join us in a review of selected notable projects from 2020.