"Farm linked to slave labor holds sustainability certification and ties to luxury brands", 28 July 2026

...AGRIBUSINESSMAN Oscar Luiz Cervi, cited by inspectors from Brazil’s Ministry of Labor in June for subjecting 35 people to conditions analogous to slavery in the cotton fields of Fazenda Reata, in Campo Novo do Parecis, Mato Grosso, is a longtime supplier to US multinational Bunge...

He also says he planned to sell his entire cotton crop to Bunge through Viterra, a Canadian multinational acquired by the company in July 2025.

Viterra is one of the world’s largest cotton exporters. Its customers include factories in Asia that are part of the supply chains of major fashion brands...

Inspectors said the workers were housed in overcrowded containers located inside an area enclosed by metal fencing and barbed wire and kept under constant surveillance.

Repórter Brasil contacted Cervi’s legal representatives for comment. 

“We are confident that our procedures are compliant and reaffirm our commitment to following the law and the highest standards,” said a statement signed by Grupo Cervi, a company in which Oscar Cervi is a managing partner.

“The relevant information and clarifications will be presented in due course,” the statement added, without addressing the specific questions raised by Repórter Brasil.

In a statement, Bunge said it had requested additional information from Cervi after learning of the “alleged subjection of workers to degrading conditions” at Fazenda Reata...

The manufacturer appears on the supplier lists of Lacoste and Gap.

Levi Strauss & Co., Lacoste, Gap, Adidas and PVH have published social and environmental policies prohibiting forced labor and serious labor violations among their suppliers...

None of the manufacturers supplied by the Bunge-owned multinational responded to the questions sent by email before publication.

Among the fashion brands named in the report, Adidas, Lacoste and Levi Strauss & Co. provided statements.

Adidas said Maral Overseas is a supplier that manufactures clothing for the brand for the Indian market. Following “a comprehensive review of available sourcing and production records,” the company said it could confirm that “no cotton imported from Brazil was used by the supplier”...

Lacoste said its traceability system allowed it to confirm that no cotton grown at Fazenda Reata had been used in the brand’s products. The company also said that all its suppliers are required to comply with its Code of Conduct, which prohibits all forms of forced, compulsory or exploitative labor.

Levi Strauss & Co. said it examines all relationships involving suppliers — as well as their subcontractors and subsidiaries — to identify potential links to forced labor cases...

The complete statements issued by the brands can be read here...

Information obtained by Repórter Brasil also indicates that soy and cotton from Fazenda Reata were supplied this year to Bunge’s facility in Rondonópolis, Mato Grosso state, one of the company’s largest industrial complexes in Brazil...

The project was carried out in partnership with Brazilian oil company Petrobras and Vibra, Brazil’s largest fuel distributor...

Petrobras did not respond to the questions sent by Repórter Brasil before publication...