Coffee Watch
Coffee Watch is a Wilmington, Delaware-based nonprofit watchdog founded in 2024 that investigates labor, deforestation, and pesticide abuses in global coffee supply chains through reports, regulatory petitions, and consumer advocacy campaigns, serving policymakers, consumers, and partner NGOs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersWilmington, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Coffee Watch does
Coffee Watch is a Delaware-incorporated nonprofit watchdog organization founded in 2024 and headquartered at 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, DE. The organization investigates and publicly documents social and environmental abuses in the global coffee industry, including slavery and forced labor on Brazilian coffee plantations, child labor, deforestation across coffee-producing regions, and widespread use of highly hazardous pesticides. Its core work product consists of investigative reports, regulatory complaints, and consumer advocacy campaigns rather than commercial software or services; notable outputs include the 'Poison in Your Coffee' report (159 pesticide active ingredients documented), the 'Exploitation and Opacity' report on Mexican supply chains, and the Section 307 petition filed with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to block imports of slavery-tainted Brazilian coffee, naming Starbucks, Nestlé, JDE, Dunkin', Illy, and McDonald's. The organization also co-published the Coffee Agroforestry E-Library with CATIE, a comprehensive online database of scientific literature on shade-grown coffee, and operates an active petition drive including 'Starbucks: Stop Coffee Slavery.'
Coffee Watch operates with a 5-person team led by Founder and Director Etelle Higonnet. Its distribution model is entirely digital and advocacy-driven: free research publications and practical guides on coffeewatch.org, an active presence on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, X/Twitter, and YouTube, an email newsletter, and earned media coverage in major outlets including The Guardian, the New York Times, Le Monde, Spiegel, and AP News. Revenue is generated exclusively through donations and grants via fundraising platforms such as Chuffed and Eko; no products, services, or subscription pricing are sold. The website is localized into English, Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, and Bahasa to reach consumer and farming populations across Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Europe.
Strategic partnerships form a core part of Coffee Watch's operating model, providing multi-jurisdictional research and legal capacity. Core partners include CATIE for agroforestry research, Empower and ProDESC for Mexican supply chain investigations, International Rights Advocates and the University of Wyoming College of Law Human Rights Clinic for U.S. legal action, and Inkota, Deutsche Umwelthilfe, and PAN UK for the 'Poison in Your Coffee' pesticide report. The organization targets general consumers, policymakers and regulatory bodies, and peer NGOs, with advocacy focused on Brazil, Mexico, Vietnam, Germany, the U.K., and Central America.
Coffee Watch firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Coffee Watch
- Legal name
- Coffee Watch
- Website
- https://coffeewatch.org
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Coffee Watch is a Wilmington, Delaware-based nonprofit watchdog founded in 2024 that investigates labor, deforestation, and pesticide abuses in global coffee supply chains through reports, regulatory petitions, and consumer advocacy campaigns, serving policymakers, consumers, and partner NGOs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Coffee Watch is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wilmington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Coffee Watch business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Coffee Watch product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Coffee Watch is a nonprofit watchdog that investigates and publicizes social and environmental abuses in the global coffee industry — including slavery, forced labor, child labor, deforestation, and pesticide contamination — through published reports, regulatory petitions (such as a Section 307 filing to U.S. Customs), legal action support, and consumer advocacy campaigns. It also maintains the Coffee Agroforestry E-Library, a free online database of scientific literature on shade-grown coffee produced with CATIE, and produces practical consumer guides on ethical coffee purchasing.
Product overview
Coffee Watch is a nonprofit watchdog organization (not a technology product company) that documents social and environmental abuses in the coffee sector through research reports, publications, petitions, and advocacy campaigns. Their outputs include investigative reports on labor practices, pesticide contamination, and deforestation in coffee supply chains, as well as the Coffee Agroforestry E-Library database of scientific literature on shade-grown coffee production. They do not offer a commercial software product, platform, or technology service.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Coffee Agroforestry E-Library A free online database of scientific literature dedicated to shade-grown coffee, jointly developed with CATIE, serving researchers, policymakers, and practitioners interested in agroforestry and sustainable coffee production.
- 'Poison in Your Coffee' Report An investigative report documenting widespread pesticide contamination in the global coffee industry, intended for policymakers, media, NGOs, and consumers concerned about chemical exposure in coffee supply chains.
- 'Robusta's Reckoning' Report (Vietnam) An investigative report on the environmental and social costs of Vietnam's robusta coffee boom, aimed at policymakers, industry actors, and advocates.
- 'Drinking Deforestation in German Coffee' Report An investigative report advocating for stronger supply chain due diligence rules in the German coffee market to address deforestation, aimed at German policymakers, regulators, and industry.
- 'Wake up and Smell the Deforestation' Report (Brazil) An investigative report documenting deforestation linked to coffee production in Brazil, aimed at policymakers, industry, and consumers.
- 'Exploitation and Opacity' Report (Mexico) A joint investigative report with Empower and ProDESC exposing labor and environmental abuses in Nestlé and Starbucks Mexican coffee supply chains, aimed at advocacy and corporate accountability.
- 'How to Buy Truly Ethical Coffee: A Practical Guide' A free practical guide published on Coffee Watch's website to help individual coffee consumers identify and purchase more ethical coffee.
- Section 307 Petition to U.S. Customs and Border Protection A formal regulatory petition filed with U.S. Customs and Border Protection seeking to block imports of slavery-tainted Brazilian coffee, submitted on behalf of Coffee Watch and supported by the University of Wyoming College of Law Human Rights Clinic.
- TVPRA Lawsuit Support (Starbucks) Supporting legal action filed by International Rights Advocates against Starbucks under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), alleging trafficking and forced labor on Brazilian coffee farms.
Quantifiable outcome
- Filed Section 307 petition to U.S. Customs and Border Protection to block imports of slavery-tainted Brazilian coffee
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Coffee Watch
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Coffee Watch technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Coffee Watch partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- InkotacoreInkota co-published the 'Poison in Your Coffee' report exposing widespread use of highly hazardous pesticides in the global coffee industry.
- Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH)coreDUH co-published the 'Poison in Your Coffee' report with Coffee Watch and Inkota, highlighting pesticide contamination threats to farmers, environment, and consumers.
- Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK)corePAN UK co-published the 'Poison in Your Coffee' report documenting the widespread use of highly hazardous pesticides across coffee-producing countries.
- CATIE (Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza)coreCATIE and Coffee Watch jointly launched the Coffee Agroforestry E-Library, the world's first comprehensive online database dedicated to scientific literature on shade-grown coffee. CATIE oversaw the development of the E-Library through Eduardo Somarriba.
- International Rights AdvocatescoreInternational Rights Advocates (IRAdvocates) filed a TVPRA lawsuit against Starbucks alongside Coffee Watch's Section 307 petition, representing eight trafficked workers alleging slavery and forced labor on Brazilian coffee farms.
- University of Wyoming College of Law Human Rights ClinicminorAssisted Coffee Watch in writing the Section 307 petition to U.S. Customs and Border Protection regarding slavery-tainted coffee imports.
- EmpowercoreEmpower, a Mexico-based accountability and transparency organization, collaborated with Coffee Watch to publish the 'Exploitation and Opacity' report exposing labor and environmental abuses in Nestlé and Starbucks Mexican supply chains.
- ProDESC (Proyecto de Derechos Económicos, Sociales y Culturales)coreProDESC, a Mexican intersectional feminist human rights defense organization, jointly published the report on Mexican coffee supply chain abuses alongside Empower and Coffee Watch.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Coffee Watch competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- World Coffee Research: Collaborative, non-profit agricultural research organization focused on coffee variety improvement and supply chain sustainability. Comparable as a coffee-sector knowledge producer that publishes research and databases used by industry stakeholders.
- KnowTheChain: Research and benchmarking platform focused on forced labor risks in corporate supply chains. Comparable to Coffee Watch in evidentiary approach and corporate accountability focus, though broader across industries.
Broad incumbents
- Specialty Coffee Association (SCA): Largest global coffee industry association representing roasters, retailers, and producers. Overlaps thematically with Coffee Watch on sustainability standards but operates from inside the industry rather than as an external watchdog.
- Rainforest Alliance: Global sustainability certification organization addressing deforestation, biodiversity, and labor standards in coffee and other agricultural supply chains. Overlaps with Coffee Watch's environmental and human-rights advocacy in the coffee sector.
- Fair Trade USA: Largest fair-trade certification body in North America, focused on ethical sourcing in coffee and other commodities. Highly comparable to Coffee Watch in subject matter (coffee supply-chain ethics) but operates via certification and labeling rather than investigative advocacy.
Direct peers
- Pesticide Action Network (PAN): International network that campaigns against hazardous pesticide use in agriculture and supply chains. Directly comparable — Coffee Watch's PAN UK co-publication 'Poison in Your Coffee' shows active partnership in shared mission.
- Green America: US-based membership organization that runs supply-chain accountability campaigns (including coffee) and provides consumer guidance on ethical purchasing. Comparable in advocacy model and consumer-education focus to Coffee Watch's 'How to Buy Truly Ethical Coffee' guide.
- Inkota-Netzwerk: German development and human-rights NGO that runs supply-chain campaigns in coffee and other commodities. Directly comparable to Coffee Watch — co-published the 'Poison in Your Coffee' report in 2026.
- Mighty Earth: International advocacy organization that campaigns against deforestation and human-rights abuses in commodity supply chains including coffee. Closely parallel operating model to Coffee Watch: research-driven, named-target campaigns, media-savvy advocacy.
- Global Labor Justice - International Labor Rights Forum: NGO focused on worker rights in global supply chains, including filing complaints and supporting worker-led litigation against major brands. Directly comparable to Coffee Watch's TVPRA lawsuit support and Section 307 petition strategy.
Market position
Strengths2 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Coffee Watch social profiles
Digital presenceCoffee Watch financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Coffee Watch leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Coffee Watch funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Coffee Watch M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Coffee Watch
What does Coffee Watch do?
Coffee Watch is a nonprofit watchdog that investigates and publicizes social and environmental abuses in the global coffee industry — including slavery, forced labor, child labor, deforestation, and pesticide contamination — through published reports, regulatory petitions (such as a Section 307 filing to U.S. Customs), legal action support, and consumer advocacy campaigns. It also maintains the Coffee Agroforestry E-Library, a free online database of scientific literature on shade-grown coffee produced with CATIE, and produces practical consumer guides on ethical coffee purchasing.
Is Coffee Watch a public or private company?
Coffee Watch is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Coffee Watch founded?
Coffee Watch was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Coffee Watch based?
Coffee Watch is headquartered in Wilmington, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Coffee Watch's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are World Coffee Research and KnowTheChain. Broad incumbents are Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), Rainforest Alliance and Fair Trade USA. Direct peers are Pesticide Action Network (PAN), Green America, Inkota-Netzwerk, Mighty Earth and Global Labor Justice - International Labor Rights Forum.
Does Coffee Watch have an API?
No public API is recorded for Coffee Watch.