Brazil continues to be the world’s top coffee exporter, responsible for close to 40% of global production. Just in 2024, the nation raked in more than $12 billion from coffee exports. Behind the economic prowess, though, is a nagging and disturbing fact: instances of modern slavery continue to haunt the coffee industry, especially in areas such as Minas Gerais. Laborers, frequently Afro-Brazilian men, are subjected to forced labor, debt bondage, and abusive conditions recalling the historic trail of slavery.
NGO reports like those of Coffee Watch and Adere-MG have tallied scores of rescues over the past few years. From 2019 to 2023, more than 300 workers were rescued from farms producing under certifications that are meant to guarantee ethical standards. Workers explain that they are compelled to work unpaid, frequently under threat or indebted for equipment and meals. Many have their identification documents taken away, which makes them unable to leave. Sanitation, safety gear, and equitable contracts are missing, even in farms that are connected with transnational coffee supply chains.
Exploitative practices in the cattle industry
Labor abuse in Brazil’s cattle industry mirrors these patterns. As one of the world’s leading beef producers and exporters, the sector heavily depends on rural labor that is vulnerable to exploitation. In isolated ranches and deforestation frontiers, workers endure conditions the Brazilian government itself defines as “slave-like.” These include 18-hour workdays, no access to clean water, and confinement through threats or actual violence. Most of these are Indigenous or migrants without legal protections.
The role of the cattle industry in deforestation and environmental destruction provides an added complexity.
Workers are not just exposed to tough conditions but are frequently stationed in areas with minimal controls or institutional presence. Investigations have traced these abuses to supply chains serving large global brands, calling into question the depth and sincerity of corporate due diligence.
Legal frameworks and enforcement challenges
Brazil’s Penal Code and Constitution criminalize slave labor, the definition of which is expansive to encompass degrading conditions of work, forced labor, and excessive working hours under Article 149. The nation was also the first to ratify ILO Convention 29. Yet, enforcement is beset by systemic issues. The Mobile Inspection Group (GEFM) of Brazil, one of its most well-known mechanisms for addressing exploitation of labor, is under-resourced and overwhelmed. Court backlogs and poor follow-up by the judiciary enable many violators to go unpunished.
In 2025, the Brazilian Ministry of Labor declared a plan to increase the number of inspectors by about 900, as a response to pressure from civil society and international actors. Although this is an increase, enforcement is still patchy, particularly in remote regions where conditions are worst. Slavery continues to exist even in certified supply chains, showing the weakness of voluntary compliance mechanisms and corporate audits.
Social and racial dimensions of contemporary slavery
The legacy of historical slavery continues to weigh most heavily on Afro-Brazilian and Indigenous communities. Most of the victims of exploitation in work are direct descendants of slaves, and ingrained racism adds to their exposure. Rural recruitment is highly dependent on go-betweens, called locally gatos, who use false contracts and coerce people into exploitative conditions. Access to legal assistance and redress is limited, especially among workers with no formal education or identity papers.
Child labor is also entrenched in this setting. There remains an estimated 1.6 million children working in risky conditions in Brazil, some of whom are employed in agriculture, as the government tries to ban child labor. Children are generally introduced to the workforce due to economic necessity, and this cycle of exploitation and poverty is continued. Such patterns mirror wider inequalities of access to social services, legal protection, and good-quality education, especially in rural and Indigenous communities.
Global supply chain implications and accountability
Worldwide companies sourcing from Brazil are increasingly at risk of reputational and legal consequences on charges of forced labor connections. Brazilian leather and coffee are integrated into global supply chains for such international brands as Nestlé, Starbucks, McDonald’s, and others. Some companies responded to mounting legal pressure by making commitments to monitor and be more transparent. But new data show that many of those promises are hollow since certified farms are still being implicated in reported abuses.
The United States-based lawsuits brought under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act have been filed against companies associated with the Brazilian coffee producers who were alleged to use forced labor. Legal experts and campaign groups argue that corporate responsibility must extend from supplier statements to mandatory due diligence obligations, third-party audit, and legal-backed transparency mechanisms. This change in global policy gains strength in 2025 with mounting calls for mandatory human rights compliance laws in top consumer markets.
The urgency of comprehensive reform
Brazil’s attempt to break down contemporary slavery has to tackle the structural root causes. This means not just enhancing enforcement but also dealing with the social and economic foundations perpetuating exploitative labor. Policies that help enhance rural education access, legal empowerment, housing, and economic alternatives for marginalized individuals are key. It is impossible to deal with the root injustices in the labor system through enforcement alone.
The UN Special Rapporteur on modern forms of slavery has named Brazil a country of concern and is to visit in late 2025. Her report will detail immediate actions for the government and business actors, on prevention, rehabilitation of victims, and breaking down illicit recruitment networks. International pressure is focusing, but sustained change will require that Brazil engage with unpalatable truths about its economic model and history.
Efforts to clean Brazil’s coffee and cattle supply chains will also require global participation. Consumer countries must align trade policies with labor rights standards and support traceability initiatives. Investors and importers play a key role in demanding supply chain accountability, linking capital to ethical practices. Without such collaborative pressure, the cycle of denial and slow reform is likely to persist.
Thiamparo, a widely followed observer on labor justice, recently underscored the importance of sustained pressure on corporate and state actors. She emphasized that,
“The supply chains of products we consume daily coffee, beef, leather are still fueled by exploitation hidden in plain sight.”
Brazil’s economic achievements in the coffee and cattle industries remain overshadowed by entrenched systems of exploitation. As global scrutiny intensifies in 2025, the country faces a pivotal moment: dismantle the legacies of slavery still embedded in its rural labor force or risk deeper entrenchment of abuses that compromise both human dignity and Brazil’s credibility in global trade.