Laima
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 30 October 2026 · 5 sources
Latvian chocolate and confectionery maker owned by Norway's Orkla.
Laima 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 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: no certification, independent audits or supplier list
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 Laima'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
These are Orkla ASA's cocoa origins across all its brands; Laima doesn't say where its own cocoa is grown. The rest is shown as where cocoa is usually grown.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Côte d'Ivoire | Regular violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Ghana | Strong protections | Well below a living wage | Low |
| EcuadorUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| CameroonUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| NigeriaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
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. Source
- It doesn't show that it checks cocoa farms for child labour and fixes what it finds.
Research notes Laima holds about 30% of Latvia's chocolate market and has been owned by Orkla since 2014; Orkla Confectionery & Snacks Latvija built a new Laima factory in Ādaži, opened around 2020. Laima publishes nothing of its own on cocoa sourcing. Orkla says more than 80% of the cocoa it uses is Rainforest Alliance certified and comes from Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire and other countries via processors, but gives no split or brand breakdown. Orkla scored 36% (needs more work) in the 2025 Chocolate Scorecard.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate Scorecard | Listed | Parent Orkla scored 36% ('needs more work') in the 2025 Chocolate Scorecard. (2025 edition; latest is 2026) View |
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Listed | Cocoa from Côte d'Ivoire (child and forced labour) and Ghana (child labour) is on the US DOL list of goods produced by child or forced labour. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- 2025 Chocolate Scorecard company results · search the archive · Orkla scored 36% (2025 edition; latest is 2026)
- US DOL List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor · search the archive · Cocoa from Côte d'Ivoire (child and forced labour) and Ghana (child labour) listed
- Orkla ups chocolate game in the Baltics with Laima buy (ConfectioneryNews, 2014) · search the archive · Orkla acquired NP Foods and Laima in 2014; about 30% of Latvian chocolate market; exports to 25+ countries
- Certified cocoa (Orkla Finland) · search the archive · More than 80% of Orkla's cocoa is Rainforest Alliance certified; from farmers in Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire and other countries
- Laima factory in Ādaži to be built by Merks (LSM, 2019) · search the archive · Orkla Confectionery & Snacks Latvija building new Laima factory in Ādaži, production from 2020; over 1,000 staff in Latvia
Company details
- Owned by
- Orkla ASA
- Headquarters
- Latvia
- Last researched
- 30 October 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Laima ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/laima, last researched 30 October 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 Laima.