The company says it has stopped purchases from the region and is investigating, according to the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
The documentary by Britain’s Channel 4 News shows children working on six farms in Guatemala, the largest coffee producer in Central America. The farms allegedly supply to Nestlé-owned coffee giant Nespresso.
Nespresso, headquartered in Switzerland, says it sources all its coffee beans ethically and that it is investigating the allegations.
“We have immediately stopped purchases of coffee from all farms in the region and we will not resume purchases until we are able to investigate and be assured that child labour is not being used,” said Nespresso chief executive Guillaume Le Cunff.
Oscar-winning actor George Clooney, who is brand ambassador for Nespresso, has said that he is “surprised and saddened” by the revelations.
“Clearly this board and this company still have work to do. And that work will be done,” Clooney said in a statement.
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Nestlé identifies over 18,000 child labourers in cocoa supply chain
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The Swiss multinational Nestlé has identified 18,283 children performing “unacceptable” tasks at cocoa farms that supply beans to the company.
Vice-president of German parliament in favour of Switzerland joining EU
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The vice-president of the Bundestag says his country should support closer ties between Switzerland and the European Union given the customs conflict with the United States.
Lindt & Sprüngli reportedly considering shifting Easter bunny production to US
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Swiss chocolate manufacturer Lindt & Sprüngli could relocate the production of its gold-wrapped Easter bunnies to the US in order to circumvent the import tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.
Swiss petition launched against curbing 30km/h speed limit
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The Traffic Club of Switzerland (TCS) has submitted a petition to the Federal Chancellery, challenging the 30km/h speed limit on local roads.
Swiss government backs abolishing imputed rental value
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The abolition of the imputed rental value in federal tax is intended to reduce incentives for high private debt and simplify the tax system. On Friday, Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter spoke on behalf of the Federal Council in favour of Parliament's proposal.
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After a strong start to the year, the Swiss economy has slowed considerably. In the second quarter, gross domestic product (GDP) rose by just 0.1 per cent on an adjusted basis compared to the previous quarter.
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The Ticino cantonal criminal court in Lugano has found a priest guilty of multiple sexual assault and sexual offences with minors. The man was sentenced to a conditional 18-month prison term.
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Nestlé criticised over migrant palm oil workers in Malaysia
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A Swiss NGO has criticised food giant Nestlé for buying palm oil from Malaysian suppliers who it claims exploit plantation workers.
Sustainable Swiss businesses, politics and the ‘Greta Effect’
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How serious are businesses and institutions about environmental and social issues? Sustainability expert Gretel Gambarelli gives her insights.
How easy is it to hold Swiss companies to account abroad?
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Swiss citizens may soon vote on whether to make companies liable for their actions abroad. Three stories show the challenges of getting justice.
Rolex and Chopard slammed for opacity in gold and diamond sourcing
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Human Rights Watch has criticised Swiss firms Rolex and Chopard for lack of sufficient publicly available information on their gold and diamond supply chains and human rights due diligence. In a 99-page reportExternal link released on Wednesday, Human Rights Watch rated Chopard “weak” and chastised Rolex for complete non-disclosure among 13 major firms in the…
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.