Cadbury (Mondelez)
Partly verifiedCadbury (Mondelez) raises serious concerns: workers in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire are very unlikely to earn a living wage, and it scores poorly on independent ratings.
Last researched 7 October 2026
Not doing enough. Workers in the supply chain are likely underpaid, unprotected or in danger, and in the worst cases face forced or child labour. Look for a better-graded alternative. What this grade means
Good: 1 of 5
- Pays a living wage
- Respects worker rights
- Full supply chain audit, or made only in countries with rigorous labour standards
- No child or forced labour findings
- Publishes where its products are made (supplier list, named farms or its own factories)
Great: 1 of 3
- Pays beyond a living wage
- Finds and fixes problems, or invests directly in workers' communities
- Actively empowers workers
Needs all Good requirements plus two of these.
Red flags: 2
- Does not pay a living wage
- Failing or very low scores on independent ratings
Where it's made
| Country | Worker rights | Legal wages | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghana 50% | Some protections | Well below a living wage | Low |
| Côte d'Ivoire 50% | Regular violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
Country conditions from the ITUC Global Rights Index, Global Slavery Index and living wage benchmarks. Certifications and audits can raise a company above its countries' baseline.
Why this grade
- 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.
- Modern slavery statement
- Invests in worker and farming communities
- Low or failing score on an independent rating
Cadbury Australia sources the cocoa for its Australian-made chocolate from Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire through Mondelēz's in-house Cocoa Life programme, which replaced Fairtrade certification on Australian packs by 2018. Cocoa Life is not independently certified and works on a mass-balance basis; Mondelēz reports about 91% of its global chocolate cocoa going through the programme in 2024 and child labour monitoring in about 89% of its West African communities, but publishes no counts of child labour cases found or remediated and no living income figures. Mondelēz scored 10%, the lowest tier, on the 2025 Chocolate Scorecard after failing to respond to the survey.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate Scorecard | Found | Mondelēz scored 10%, the lowest tier, in the 2025 Chocolate Scorecard after not responding to the survey. View ↗ |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Found | Mondelēz Australia lodges annual modern slavery statements covering Cadbury, naming Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire cocoa as a high-risk area. View ↗ |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Cadbury removed Fairtrade certification from Australian and New Zealand products by 2018 in favour of its own Cocoa Life programme. View ↗ |
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Found | Cocoa from Côte d'Ivoire is listed for child and forced labour and cocoa from Ghana for child labour. View ↗ |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Found | Tracks a 2021 US child trafficking lawsuit naming Mondelēz among major cocoa companies, dismissed in 2022. View ↗ |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Unclear | Not checked for this record. View ↗ |
Unconfirmed reports
Credible reports that haven't been confirmed by a regulator, completed investigation or the company. They're shown for your information and don't affect the grade.
- A 2022 Channel 4 Dispatches investigation filmed children as young as 10 using machetes on Ghanaian cocoa farms in Mondelēz's Cocoa Life programme; Mondelēz said it was deeply concerned but rejected any suggestion it benefits from child labour and asked for dates, names and locations to investigate. Source ↗
- Mondelēz was one of several chocolate companies sued in the US in 2021 by former child workers who said they were trafficked to Côte d'Ivoire cocoa farms; a US judge dismissed the case in 2022 because the plaintiffs could not link specific farms to the companies. Source ↗
Sources (11)
- Mondelēz Australia Modern Slavery Statement (reporting year 2022) · archived copy · Cocoa for Australian-made chocolate from Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire, approximately 100% via Cocoa Life (mass balance); about 2,560 employees in Australia; ~74% CLMRS coverage end 2022
- Mondelēz Australia Modern Slavery Statement (reporting year 2020) · archived copy · Cocoa for Australian-made chocolate sourced from Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana through Cocoa Life; modern slavery statement lodged
- Cocoa Life: MDLZ 2024 Snacking Made Right report · archived copy · ~91% of cocoa volume for Mondelēz chocolate brands via Cocoa Life in 2024; ~89% of West African Cocoa Life communities covered by CLMRS; no remediation or living income figures
- Mondelēz International scales up due diligence (2024 human rights report press release) · archived copy · About 208,000 farmers in Cocoa Life; US$1 billion committed 2012-2030; ~2,480 communities covered by CLMRS; no case counts given
- 2025 Chocolate Scorecard companies · archived copy · Mondelēz International rated 10%, lowest tier, in the 2025 Chocolate Scorecard
- Mighty Earth: The scores are in and this year's chocolate villain is... · archived copy · Mondelēz named the 2025 Chocolate Scorecard 'villain' for failing to respond to the survey
- Fairtrade logo to slip from Cadbury packs (SmartCompany) · archived copy · Fairtrade logo removed from Cadbury packs in Australia and New Zealand by May 2018, replaced by Cocoa Life
- TV exposé reveals child labour on Mondelēz Cocoa Life farms in Africa (ConfectioneryNews, 2022) · archived copy · Channel 4 Dispatches filmed children working on Ghanaian Cocoa Life farms; Mondelēz said it would investigate
- Cocoa Life: Our response to Dispatches · archived copy · Mondelēz refuted that it benefits from child labour and asked for dates, names and locations; no investigation results published
- Cocoa child slavery lawsuit dismissed by US judge (ConfectioneryNews, 2022) · archived copy · Mondelēz a defendant in 2021 lawsuit; dismissed June 2022 for lack of standing
- US DOL List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor (cocoa) · archived copy · Cocoa from Côte d'Ivoire listed for child and forced labour; Ghana for child labour (2024 list)
Last researched 7 October 2026 · details still being verified. Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Represent this company and think something is wrong? A right-of-reply form is coming soon.