Mongabay Newscast Coffee drives tropical deforestation, but doesn't have to
Jun 17, 2025
Etelle Higonnet, founder of Coffee Watch and former U.S. National Wildlife Federation adviser, shines a light on the dark side of the coffee industry. She discusses how coffee production contributes to deforestation and human rights abuses, such as child labor and slavery. Higonnet stresses that implementing fair wages could significantly reduce these violations. She champions the European Union Deforestation Regulation as a vital step to improve industry practices and protect both people and the planet. Ethical sourcing in the coffee supply chain is crucial for positive change.
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Poverty Fuels Coffee Abuses
- Most coffee farmers and workers live in extreme poverty, driving child labor and slavery.
- Child labor prevalence is extremely high in Ethiopia, Colombia, and Honduras' coffee farms.
Deforestation's Feedback Loop
- Deforestation worsens rainfall patterns causing crop failures and rising coffee prices.
- The coffee industry's destruction of forests creates a self-reinforcing cycle of deforestation and scarcity.
Tariffs Hurt Coffee Producers
- Current tariffs on coffee disproportionately harm producing countries by discouraging value-added processing.
- Tariff systems reinforce colonial exploitation and reduce funds available for poverty alleviation in coffee-growing nations.