About this episode

Etelle Higonnet discusses the dark realities of the coffee industry and advocates for reform and accountability.

You probably do not know this, but your morning cup of coffee carries a dark story. It's a story riddled with deforestation, child labor, slavery, corporate denial, and environmental injustice. This week, Etelle Higonnet , founder of Coffee Watch , joins the Environmental Justice Lab to expose how the global coffee industry profits from environmental destruction and human suffering, and what must change. Etelle pulls back the curtain on the hidden costs of coffee production: forests cleared for plantations, farmers trapped in poverty, children and women enslaved, and powerful corporations dodging responsibility. But this isn’t just a story of despair. It’s a call to action. She lays out a vision for reform, from traceable supply chains to living wages and consumer activism that forces accountability. If you drink coffee, you’re part of this system. But, according to Etelle, you can be part of the solution. Let's go! Resources: Wake up and Smell the Deforestation - Coffee Watch Report Morally repugnant’: Brazilian workers sue coffee supplier to Starbucks over ‘slavery-like conditions - The Guardian Become a supporter of this podcast…

People in this episode

Host: Lesley Joseph

Guest: Etelle Higonnet

Topics covered

• coffee industry
• environmental justice
• human rights
• corporate responsibility
• supply chains

Keywords

• coffee
• deforestation
• child labor
• slavery
• environmental injustice
• corporate denial
• consumer activism

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Coffee Watch, Starbucks, The Guardian

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