Butterfinger
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
American candy bar with a crispy peanut-butter centre.
We couldn't confirm where Butterfinger gets most of its cocoa.
Also worth knowing
Most cocoa is grown in countries such as Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, where workers are very unlikely to earn a living wage.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
- 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.
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 rightsJudged on where cocoa is usually grown: worker rights are poorly protected in Ecuador, Cameroon and Nigeria.
- 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 (palm oil) where they're a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: palm oil
Red flags 1
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
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 Butterfinger'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: On Track
Holding one? Scan its barcode for an estimate that uses its care label or ingredients.
Where its cocoa is grown
We couldn't confirm where Butterfinger gets most of its cocoa, so this shows where cocoa is usually grown.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Côte d'Ivoire | 45% | Regular violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Ghana | 25% | Strong protections | Well below a living wage | Low |
| Ecuador | 10% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Cameroon | 10% | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Nigeria | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Modern slavery statement
- It doesn't show that it checks cocoa farms for child labour and fixes what it finds.
- Doesn't show where its palm oil comes from. Palm oil is linked to forced and child labour on some Malaysian and Indonesian plantations, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.
Research notes Butterfinger is mostly peanuts, corn syrup and sugar, with palm and palm kernel oil and less than 2% cocoa. Ferrara does not say where its cocoa or palm oil comes from or whether it is covered by Ferrero's cocoa programme (which publishes a cocoa supplier list and buys 99% certified or verified cocoa). Ferrara's own modern slavery statement relies on a supplier code, annual third-party audits of high-risk suppliers and certified materials, but names no schemes or cases and plans traceability only for the future. Ferrero's Turkish hazelnut issues do not apply, as Butterfinger contains no hazelnuts.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate Scorecard | Unclear | Ferrara is not rated separately and was not invited to the 2026 (7th edition) Chocolate Scorecard; parent Ferrero took part and scored 58% in 2025, but whether that covers Ferrara is not stated. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Ferrara Candy Company publishes a UK Modern Slavery statement (Sept 2024 to Aug 2025), naming cocoa and palm oil as forced labour risk commodities. View |
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Unclear | Cocoa from Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana is on the US DOL child labour list, but Ferrara does not say where Butterfinger's cocoa comes from. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- 2025 Chocolate Scorecard companies · search the archive · Ferrero 58%; Ferrara not listed separately
- The 7th Ed Chocolate Scorecard: who is participating · search the archive · Ferrero is among the 44 invited medium and large companies; Ferrara is not listed
- Ferrero advances certified sourcing and supplier compliance · search the archive · Ferrero 2025 report: 98% cocoa traceable, 99% certified or verified; all palm oil RSPO certified; Ferrara not mentioned
- Butterfinger Pieces (Ferrero Foodservice) · search the archive · Ingredients: corn syrup, sugar, peanuts, palm kernel and palm oil, less than 2% cocoa
- Ferrero completes acquisition of Nestlé USA's confectionery business · search the archive · Ferrero bought Nestlé US confectionery (incl. Butterfinger) in 2018; Ferrara manages its three Illinois plants
- Butterfinger Bar 1.9oz (USA Foods) · search the archive · Sold by Australian importer USA Foods online and at its Melbourne store
Published by Butterfinger or its owner
- Ferrara Candy UK Modern Slavery Statement FY2024-25 · search the archive · Cocoa and palm flagged as forced labour risks; supplier code and audits; traceability planned; no cases reported
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Butterfinger ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/butterfinger, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
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Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Butterfinger.