Clooney is saddened by ‘child labour’ coffee pods
GEORGE Clooney has pledged ‘work will be done’ after an investigation uncovered child labour at farms linked to the Nespresso coffee he advertises.
The actor, who has reportedly earned $40million (€37million) as the brand’s ambassador, said he was saddened after youngsters were filmed working eighthour days on plantations for less than €6.
The probe by Channel 4’s Dispatches showed them doing up to six-day weeks picking beans and shifting heavy loads to weighing areas in Guatemala.
Nespresso, known for its stylish coffee machines and capsules, does not publicly list its supplier farms.
But Dispatches said it found information about suppliers in Guatemala, the world’s tenth largest coffee producer. Reporters claim they were given access to farms located in remote regions and saw children working at all of them. The Swiss coffee brand has previously claimed its beans come from ethical sources.
Clooney, who joined Nespresso’s Sustainability Advisory Board in 2013, said: ‘I was surprised and saddened to see this story. Clearly this board and this company still have work to do. And that work will be done.’
He added: ‘Having grown up working on a tobacco farm from the time I was 12, I’m uniquely aware of the complex issues regarding farming and child labour.’
Clooney, who worked on his grandparents’ tobacco farm in Kentucky during summer holidays, said he hoped Dispatches reporter Anthony
Barnett, who revealed the evidence, ‘will continue to investigate these conditions and report accurately if they do not improve’.
‘The check and balance of good corporate responsibility lies not just with the company itself but also independent journalists like Mr Barnett to hold everyone’s promise to account,’ Clooney said.
The actor, 58, has been Nespresso’s brand ambassador since 2006 and insisted he was ‘enormously proud’ of its work. He said he joined the advisory board and groups including the Rainforest Alliance, Fair Trade International and the Fair Labour Association.
He added: ‘The goal then, as it remains to this day, is to improve the lives of farmers. Make their farms more profitable. More sustainable. I’m enormously proud of the success of their efforts. They’ve improved the lives and livelihoods of thousands of farms all around the world.’
Nespresso chief executive Guillaume Le Cunff insisted it had ‘zero tolerance of child labour’ and promised to investigate. He said: ‘It is unacceptable. Where there are claims that our high standards are not met, we act immediately.
‘In this case, we’ve launched a thorough investigation to find out which farms were filmed and whether they supply Nespresso. We will not resume purchases of coffee from farms in this area until the investigation is closed.’
Dispatches said Nespresso declined to give an interview.
Since its formation in 2000, the company has hired more than 13,000 staff in 76 countries and launched more than 700 boutique stores.
It is not the first time the brand has been accused of forced labour. An investigation by Reuters in December found coffee produced by forced labour in Brazil was stamped slavery-free by certification schemes and sold at a premium to firms like Nespresso.
Dispatches is on Monday at 8pm on Channel 4.