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Go Get Em Tiger launched a ‘Roasted at Origin’ program targeting 20% of roasting in producing countries by end of 2026 and 70% by end of 2027. Brazilian authorities rescued 53 coffee workers from slavery-like conditions in an August operation. Green coffee auctions in Ethiopia and Bolivia fetched up to $3,100 per kilogram.
Los Angeles coffee company Go Get Em Tiger (GGET) has launched a “Roasted at Origin” program that will move a share of its roasting to coffee-producing countries, while Brazilian authorities rescued 53 coffee workers from conditions legally defined as analogous to slavery, according to a Weekly Coffee News roundup published by Daily Coffee News on September 25, 2026. The two developments bookend a week in which green coffee auctions in Ethiopia and Bolivia fetched record-level prices and Verve Coffee Roasters workers reached a tentative first union contract.
GGET’s new program calls for select coffees to be roasted in the countries where they were grown, using roast profiles developed collaboratively. The company’s homepage states it plans to move 20% of its roasting to coffee-producing countries by the end of 2026 and 70% by the end of 2027. No additional details on partner countries or roasting partners were included in the report.
In Brazil, the Ministry of Labor and Employment said coffee cultivation had the second-highest number of rescued workers among individual sectors — behind construction — during a nationwide August enforcement operation. In total, 479 people were rescued, 53 of them from coffee work. For comparison, Brazilian authorities rescued 214 coffee workers from slavery-like conditions in all of 2024, according to the report.
Meanwhile, three private green coffee auctions on the M-Cultivo platform produced exceptionally high prices. Ethiopian producer Alo Coffee drew 6,457 bids at its Echoes of the Peak auction, with a top price of $1,739 per kilogram ($788.80 per pound). A coffee from Faysel Abdosh, founder of Testi Specialty Coffee, fetched $2,376.50 per kilogram ($1,077.96 per pound) at the September 14 Faysel Abdosh Signature auction. A Gesha lot from Bolivia’s Finca Takesi drew a winning bid of $3,100 per kilogram ($1,406.14 per pound), organizers told DCN.
Why Origin Roasting and Labor Enforcement Matter
GGET’s program represents one of the more aggressive commitments by a U.S. specialty roaster to shift roasting capacity to producing countries, a model its proponents say can capture more value in origin economies. The stated targets — 20% by the end of 2026 and 70% by the end of 2027 — would represent a substantial restructuring of the company’s supply chain if achieved. The company has not publicly detailed how the targets will be measured or which origins are involved.
The Brazil rescue underscores that labor abuse remains a persistent problem in coffee cultivation, one of the sectors with the most rescued workers in the August operation. The 53 workers rescued in a single month amount to roughly a quarter of the 214 coffee workers rescued in all of 2024, according to the figures reported.
The auction prices, alongside the corporate and union developments, illustrate the widening spread in the coffee sector between ultra-premium micro-lots and the commodity market pressures facing workers and conventional producers.
Other Developments This Week
Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii moved its headquarters from Denver to Lexington, Kentucky, opened an East Coast distribution center, and promoted Tom Wylie from chief operating officer to president. The chain, now at 48 locations, said the moves support franchise growth. Wylie joined the company as COO earlier this year.
Workers at numerous Verve Coffee Roasters cafes in San Francisco and Santa Cruz reached a tentative first contract, according to UFCW Local 5. The union said the deal includes wage progression, scheduling guarantees, a path to full-time work, and a provision requiring that final employment decisions involving AI systems be made by people.
Starbucks selected Chennai, India, for a new global technology hub intended in part to bring third-party work in-house; Reuters reported the initial phase could create about 800 technology jobs. SEB Professional Beverage named William Yates senior vice president commercial, overseeing the WMF, Schaerer, Curtis, La San Marco and Zummo brands. Mexico’s federal government is expanding direct-to-consumer channels for small-scale coffee farmers, complementing its Café Bienestar program, according to Mexico Business News. Lavazza launched My Lavazza, its first U.S. loyalty program, earning members one “Bean” per $1 spent. And convenience retailer ARKO Corp. upgraded coffee service across more than 1,000 stores with a Coffee Creations customization program, according to C-Store Dive; ARKO operated 1,057 stores as of June 30.
“The company plans to move 20% of its roasting to coffee-producing countries by the end of 2026 and 70% by the end of 2027.”
— Go Get Em Tiger homepage
Details Still Emerging
GGET has not publicly specified which producing countries or roasting partners are involved in the Roasted at Origin program, nor how the 20% and 70% targets are defined or measured. The Verve contract remains tentative pending ratification by workers, and voting results have not been reported. Details on which Brazilian farms or regions the 53 rescued coffee workers came from were not disclosed in the report, and it is not yet clear whether enforcement actions will lead to prosecutions or supply-chain penalties.
What to Watch Going Forward
Watch for GGET to announce its first origin-roasted releases and partner details as the end-of-2026 target approaches. Verve workers are expected to vote on ratification of the tentative contract. Brazilian labor enforcement operations typically continue through the harvest season, and the 2026 full-year rescue figures will show whether the August total signals an escalation over 2024’s 214 coffee-worker rescues. Starbucks’ Chennai hub is expected to begin hiring for its initial phase of roughly 800 technology roles.
Key Questions
What is Go Get Em Tiger’s ‘Roasted at Origin’ program?
It is a new initiative under which select GGET coffees will be roasted in the countries where they were grown, using roast profiles developed collaboratively. The company says it plans to move 20% of roasting to producing countries by the end of 2026 and 70% by the end of 2027.
How many coffee workers were rescued in Brazil, and from what conditions?
Brazilian authorities rescued 53 coffee workers from conditions legally defined as analogous to slavery during a nationwide August enforcement operation. Coffee ranked second among sectors for rescued workers, behind construction, out of 479 people rescued in total.
What were the record auction prices for green coffee this week?
Top prices included $1,739/kg for Alo Coffee’s Echoes of the Peak auction, $2,376.50/kg at the Faysel Abdosh Signature auction, and $3,100/kg for a Gesha lot from Bolivia’s Finca Takesi — all on the M-Cultivo platform.
What does the tentative Verve Coffee Roasters contract include?
According to UFCW Local 5, the deal includes wage progression, scheduling guarantees, a path to full-time work, and a provision that final employment decisions involving AI systems must be made by people. It awaits worker ratification.
Where is Starbucks opening its new global technology hub?
Starbucks has selected Chennai, India. Reuters reported the initial phase could create about 800 technology jobs, with part of the work brought in-house from third-party providers.
Source: rss
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