Ferrero (Kinder)
Partly verified✓ Checks its own supply chain. Ferrero (Kinder) actively looks for problems such as child or forced labour, publishes what it finds and works to fix it. That openness is uncommon, so problems it finds and reports itself are shown below but don't count against its grade.
Ferrero (Kinder) raises serious concerns: workers in Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Türkiye are very unlikely to earn a living wage, and unions and workers' rights are heavily restricted in Türkiye and Nigeria, with no independent audits. A 2019 New York Times investigation found Syrian refugees, including children, earning as little as US$8 a day harvesting Turkish hazelnuts for Ferrero and other buyers, and the Fair Labor Association said six years of monitoring had not found a single Turkish hazelnut farm meeting all of its decent work standards.
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: 2 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
- Hidden or unaudited supply chain (no certification or documentation, or major production in countries with poor worker rights without independent audits)
Where it's made
| Country | Worker rights | Legal wages | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Côte d'Ivoire 40% | Regular violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Ghana 25% | Some protections | Well below a living wage | Low |
| Türkiye 25% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| Nigeria 5% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
| Ecuador 5% | No guarantee of rights | Well 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.
- Publishes supplier list
- Traces high-risk raw materials to the mine or farm and fixes problems found
- Reports child labour cases found and fixed
- Invests in worker and farming communities
- Modern slavery statement
Ferrero buys most of its cocoa from Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, where the US Department of Labor lists cocoa as produced with child labour, and much of its hazelnuts from Türkiye, where hazelnuts are also on that list. It publishes its cocoa supplier and farmer-group list each year, reports 97% of cocoa traced to the farm, and says all its dedicated cocoa farmer groups are covered by child labour monitoring and remediation systems. It does not publish numbers of cocoa child labour cases or a time-bound plan for farmers to reach a living income, and it scored 58% (mid-tier) in the 2025 Chocolate Scorecard.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate Scorecard | Found | Scored 58% overall in the 2025 Chocolate Scorecard, in the 'starting to develop good policies' band. View ↗ |
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Found | Cocoa from Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana and hazelnuts from Turkey, Ferrero's main sources, are on the US DOL child labour list. View ↗ |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Found | Ferrero Australia lodges modern slavery statements, including one for FY2022-23 published in 2024. View ↗ |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Found | Lists 2019 reporting on refugee and child labour abuses on Turkish hazelnut farms supplying Ferrero and Nestlé. View ↗ |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Unclear | Some cocoa is sourced under Fairtrade alongside Rainforest Alliance and other schemes, but the share is not stated. View ↗ |
Confirmed issues
Problems confirmed by a court, regulator, completed investigation or the company itself. Issues more than 15 years old, or 10–15 years old where the company made amends, are removed. Problems a company finds and publishes itself, and is fixing, are shown but don't count against it.
| When | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Ferrero's 2024 sustainability report states that 3,020 children were identified working on hazelnut farms in its Turkish supply chain and referred to schools and social support, working with the ILO. Found and being fixed by the company Not counted against the grade, because the company found and published it itself. | Partly Children referred to schools and social support with the ILO. |
| 2019 | A 2019 New York Times investigation found Syrian refugees, including children, earning as little as US$8 a day harvesting Turkish hazelnuts for Ferrero and other buyers, and the Fair Labor Association said six years of monitoring had not found a single Turkish hazelnut farm meeting all of its decent work standards. | Not known |
Sources (10)
- 2025 Chocolate Scorecard companies · archived copy · Ferrero scored 58% overall in the 2025 Chocolate Scorecard (starting to develop good policies band).
- Ferrero 2022-2023 Cocoa Progress Report · archived copy · 93% of cocoa traceable to farm via polygon mapping; 100% of farmer groups covered by CLMRS; annual cocoa supplier list disclosure.
- Ferrero Australia: Cocoa · archived copy · Cocoa sourced mainly from Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana plus Ecuador and Nigeria; 99% through sustainability standards such as Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade; annual supplier and farmer group list; schoo
- Ferrero makes major transparency release of its key Ghana and Ivory Coast cocoa suppliers · archived copy · Ferrero published its tier-1 suppliers and cocoa farmer groups in 2021, covering Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ecuador and Colombia.
- Exclusive: Ferrero sustainability report claims key environmental and social rights gains · archived copy · 2025 report: cocoa 97%, palm oil 97% and hazelnut 94% traceable; no child labour case numbers or living income figures given.
- Children identified in Ferrero hazelnut supply chain, labor risk highlighted · archived copy · Ferrero's 2024 sustainability report identified 3,020 children working on Turkish hazelnut farms, referred to schools and social support with the ILO.
- Syrian refugees exploited harvesting hazelnuts for chocolate giants · archived copy · 2019 New York Times reporting: Syrian refugees including children earned as little as $8 a day on Turkish hazelnut farms supplying Ferrero; FLA never found a farm meeting all decent work standards; Fe
- Ferrero single biggest buyer of Turkish hazelnuts · archived copy · Ferrero bought almost a third of Turkish hazelnuts in 2017 and sources about 80% of its hazelnuts from Turkey.
- Ferrero Australia Modern Slavery Report 2024 (Sourcemap) · archived copy · Ferrero Australia published a modern slavery report for FY2022-23; 79% of hazelnuts traced to farm gate.
- US DOL List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor · archived copy · Cocoa from Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana and hazelnuts from Turkey are listed as produced with 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.