Godiva
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
Premium chocolatier selling boxed pralines, truffles and bars.
Godiva publishes no certification, independent audit or supplier list.
Also worth knowing
Workers in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana are very unlikely to earn a living wage.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 2 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and a hidden supply chain. 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.
Good requirements 2 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Met: Respects worker rights
- 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 (hazelnuts and palm oil) where they're a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: hazelnuts and palm oil
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain: no certification, independent audits or supplier list
| Star | Awarded for |
|---|---|
| Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities |
Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Estimates for its products
Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using Godiva'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
Godiva names some of the countries its cocoa comes from: Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. The rest is shown as where cocoa is usually grown.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Côte d'Ivoire | 89% | Regular violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Ghana | 11% | Strong protections | Well below a living wage | Low |
| EcuadorUsual for the industry | under 1% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| CameroonUsual for the industry | under 1% | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| NigeriaUsual for the industry | under 1% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | under 1% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Invests in worker and farming communities
- It doesn't show that it checks cocoa farms for child labour and fixes what it finds.
- Doesn't show where its hazelnuts come from. Hazelnuts are linked to child labour and very low pay on Turkish hazelnut farms, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies them.
- 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 Godiva says 87% of its 2022 cocoa came from Côte d'Ivoire and 10% from Ghana, where child labour on cocoa farms is widespread. Its 2020 Responsible Cocoa Commitment, issued after a Green America campaign, promises full child labour monitoring and farm-level traceability by 2025, but its sustainability page still reports no results after 2022, no child labour cases and no prices paid. Its main suppliers are Barry Callebaut and Onem. Its range is not Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance certified, and it gives no origin for the hazelnuts or palm oil it uses. Owner Yildiz Holding scores poorly on human rights benchmarks.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Listed | Godiva gets about 87% of its cocoa from Côte d'Ivoire and 10% from Ghana. Cocoa from Côte d'Ivoire is on the US Department of Labor list for child and forced labour, and cocoa from Ghana for child labour. View |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | No Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance certification covering Godiva's range was identified. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not listed | No Australian modern slavery statement covering Godiva was identified. View |
| Chocolate Scorecard | Not listed | Godiva is not in the 2026 (7th edition) Chocolate Scorecard ranking; in the 2025 edition it was in the 'starting to develop and implement good policies' band (about 55%). View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- 2025 Chocolate Scorecard companies · search the archive · Godiva listed in the 'starting to develop and implement good policies' band (about 55% overall)
- Yildiz Holding – Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Yildiz rated F overall; WBA Social Benchmark 2026 score 9.7/100 against a 20 average
- Green America – Godiva takes steps to address child labor in cocoa · search the archive · After a campaign Godiva issued a cocoa policy committing to 100% child labour monitoring and living income work; still behind peers
- Godiva Gold Collection 15 pieces – ingredients (McGrocer) · search the archive · Materials: hazelnuts and palm/palm kernel oil are main ingredients of the flagship collection; no origin or certification given. Made in Belgium
- BBM: Ulker sells Godiva's rights in 4 countries and the Belgian factory · search the archive · 2019: MBK Partners takes Godiva Japan, Korea, Australia and the Belgian factory; Yildiz keeps Reading (US) and Istanbul factories
Published by Godiva or its owner
- Godiva – Sustainability (Responsible Cocoa Commitment) · search the archive · 2022 cocoa origin: 87% Côte d'Ivoire, 10% Ghana, 3% other; suppliers Onem and Barry Callebaut; target of 100% farm traceability by 2025
- Godiva Australia – Stores · search the archive · Godiva Australia lists seven boutiques in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra
Company details
- Owned by
- Yildiz Holding (Pladis); Australian, Japanese and Korean stores run by MBK Partners under licence
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Godiva ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/godiva, 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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