It was discovered in July of this year that nineteen coffee harvest workers — who had migrated from Vale do Jequitinhonha, one of the poorest areas in the state of Minas Gerais — had almost one-third of their wages illegally deducted by bosses. The deductions were related to the purchase of machinery and fuel to be used in the harvest — an illegal practice according to labor legislation. It just so happens that the farm in question belongs to the family of Carlos Augusto Rodrigues de Melo, who has been president of the world’s largest coffee cooperative, Cooxupé, since 2019.
Labor...
