Nestlé, ILO Expand Labor Rights Project in Coffee Supply

Nestlé and the International Labour Organization (ILO) are expanding their long-standing collaboration through a new two-year project aimed at strengthening labor rights in coffee supply chains across Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico, key sourcing countries for the company. The initiative, titled From Fair Recruitment to the Protection of Workers in Coffee Supply Chains, seeks to address persistent decent work deficits and labor risks, particularly among temporary and migrant workers.

ILO will facilitate social dialogue among governments, employer organizations and workers to identify structural challenges affecting labor conditions in the coffee sector. Based on this analysis, the project will implement country-level interventions to promote fair recruitment practices and respect for labor rights, while also supporting global knowledge sharing across the industry.

“Coffee production supports the livelihoods of approximately 20 to 25 million families worldwide, generating essential income and employment. However, decent work deficits persist in coffee supply chains, particularly among temporary and migrant workers. Through this project, we aim to advance labor rights, promote decent work and contribute to more sustainable supply chains,” said Dan Rees, Director of the Priority Action Programme on Decent Work in Supply Chains, ILO.

The initiative is backed by the Nescafé Plan, Nestlé’s global sustainability program for its coffee brand, and aligns with broader ILO frameworks, including the Fair Recruitment Initiative and the Safety + Health for All Programme. It also contributes to the Vision Zero Fund, which promotes the fundamental right to safe and healthy working conditions across supply chains.

“Our partnership with the ILO represents an important step in advancing and promoting human rights in coffee supply chains. By working together, we can move faster toward building more resilient and inclusive coffee supply chains where workers are treated with dignity,” said Antje Shaw, Head of Sustainability for Coffee, Nestlé.

Nestlé, a founding member of the ILO-convened Child Labour Platform, has maintained ongoing collaboration with the organization on projects aimed at improving labor conditions in agricultural supply chains. In 2023, they formalized a collaboration to promote decent job opportunities for young people in Colombia. The agreement focused on strengthening competency-based training programs aligned with labor market demand, with an emphasis on improving employability in high-demand and specialized sectors.

The initiative responded to structural labor challenges in Colombia, where youth unemployment reached 18% in the first half of 2023, compared to an overall unemployment rate of 10.9%, according to DANE. Additionally, ILO data indicated that six out of 10 employed individuals aged 15 to 24 were working in informal conditions during the second quarter of 2023. The partnership aimed to address both limited job opportunities and job quality by promoting skills development, fostering engagement with employers, and supporting the transition from informal to formal employment, while also reinforcing actions against child labor and advancing training initiatives linked to rural development and value chains such as coffee.