Labour Lens

Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.

Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources

Tuscan bean-to-bar fine chocolate maker known for its single-origin bars.

Amedei can't show that the people who grow its cocoa in Ghana and Ecuador earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.

Also worth knowing

It has no full independent audit.

Why it's graded Lacks transparency

  • Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
  • Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and a hidden, unaudited supply chain in high-risk countries. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
  • It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
  • Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.

How grades are decided


Good requirements 1 of 6

  • Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
  • Not met: Respects worker rightsSome of its cocoa is grown in countries such as Ecuador and Venezuela, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
  • Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
  • Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
  • Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
  • Not met: Finds and fixes child labour on cocoa farms (Fairtrade, Fair for Life or its own published monitoring), and traces other high-risk ingredients where they're a major part of its range

Red flags 2

  • Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
  • Red flag: Hidden supply chain, partly in countries with poor worker rights

Stars it would earn as Good

None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars

Estimates for its products

Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using Amedei's evidence and, where it has product lines, that line's countries. They're estimates: we don't know which factory made any single item.

  • A product carrying the Fairtrade mark: Good

Holding one? Scan its barcode for an estimate that uses its care label or ingredients.

Where its cocoa is grown

Amedei names some of the countries its cocoa comes from: Brazil, Ecuador, Ghana, Jamaica, Madagascar, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela. The rest is shown as where cocoa is usually grown.

Where its cocoa is grown, and conditions there
CountryWorker rightsLegal minimum wageForced labour risk
Côte d'IvoireUsual for the industryRegular violationsFar below a living wageModerate
GhanaStrong protectionsWell below a living wageLow
EcuadorNo guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageModerate
CameroonUsual for the industrySystematic violationsFar below a living wageModerate
NigeriaUsual for the industryNo guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageModerate
IndonesiaUsual for the industryNo guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageModerate
BrazilSystematic violationsBelow a living wageModerate
JamaicaRegular violationsNot ratedModerate
MadagascarSystematic violationsWell below a living wageModerate
PeruSystematic violationsWell below a living wageModerate
Trinidad and TobagoSystematic violationsNot ratedModerate
VenezuelaNo guarantee of rightsNot ratedHigh
GrenadaWe don't have labour ratings for this country yet.

Evidence

What we found

  • Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: an estimated 1.5 million children work on cocoa farms in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, and most cocoa farmers earn well below a living income.
  • It doesn't show that it checks cocoa farms for child labour and fixes what it finds.

Research notes Amedei makes all its chocolate in Tuscany from about 50 tonnes of cocoa a year, bought from Venezuela (Chuao and Zulia), Madagascar, Ghana, Trinidad, Grenada, Jamaica, Peru, Ecuador and Brazil; no shares are published. It says it controls the whole production process but names no farms or cooperatives, prices paid, certifications, child labour policy, supplier list or wage data. No labour abuses linked to its suppliers have been reported.

What independent sources say

SourceResultDetails
Chocolate ScorecardNot coveredAmedei is not among the companies in the 2025 Chocolate Scorecard results or invited to the 2026 edition; it is a small maker (about 50 tonnes of cocoa a year). View
Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ)Not listedAmedei names no Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance or other certification for its cocoa. View

Sources and actions

Sources 6

Show all 6 sources
  1. 7th edition Chocolate Scorecard: who is participating · search the archive · Amedei not on the 2026 Chocolate Scorecard invite list
  2. Bean to bar: one of the best Italian chocolates is born in Tuscany (Linkiesta, 2024) · search the archive · Origins Ghana, Madagascar, Trinidad, Grenada, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Brazil; about 50 tonnes cocoa a year; made in Pontedera
  3. Il gotha del cioccolato (Milano Finanza, 2024) · search the archive · Origins Madagascar, Venezuela, Jamaica, Ecuador, Peru, Trinidad, Grenada; owned by Ferrarelle since 2017
  4. Golden Bean Amedei acquired by Ferrarelle (Snack & Bakery) · search the archive · Ferrarelle acquired Amedei

Published by Amedei or its owner

  1. Our history (Amedei) · search the archive · Founded 1990 in Pontedera; Ferrarelle acquired it in 2017; Chuao and Porcelana Venezuelan origins; no certification named
  2. Amedei FAQ · search the archive · Online shop with shipments abroad and a Rest of the World store

Company details

Headquarters
Italy
Last researched
3 November 2026
Cite this page
Labour Lens, "Is Amedei ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/amedei, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
Method
Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means

Something missing or wrong?

Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Amedei.