Leonidas
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
Brussels chocolatier selling pralines through about 1,200 shops.
Leonidas publishes no certification, independent audit or supplier list, and we couldn't confirm where it 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 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 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 (hazelnuts) where they're a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: hazelnuts
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 Leonidas'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 Leonidas 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
- 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.
Research notes Leonidas says all its cocoa (about 3,000 tonnes of beans a year from 2,450 farms) has been sourced since October 2021 through Rainforest Alliance certification or Barry Callebaut's Cocoa Horizons programme, but it does not say how much falls under each, name origin countries or suppliers, or report child labour monitoring results. It has signed Belgium's Beyond Chocolate charter, which aims for a living income for cocoa farmers. Its pralines use pure cocoa butter without palm oil; hazelnut praliné is used widely, with no origin given.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate Scorecard | Not covered | Leonidas is not among the companies invited to the 7th edition (2026) of the Chocolate Scorecard and has no published score. View |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Leonidas cocoa is not Fairtrade; it says all its cocoa has been covered since October 2021 by Rainforest Alliance or Barry Callebaut's Cocoa Horizons programme, without giving the split. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Chocolate Scorecard 7th edition participants · search the archive · Leonidas not among companies invited to the 2026 Scorecard
- Barry Callebaut - Sustainable brand stories · search the archive · Leonidas tablet range uses Cocoa Horizons cocoa
- Leonidas record performance 2025 (AC Franchise) · search the archive · About 1,200 shops; new Nivelles plant; sales up 8% in 2025
- Ubuy - Leonidas · search the archive · Leonidas products sold online with international shipping, including to Australia; no Australian shops found
Published by Leonidas or its owner
- Sustainable cocoa, happiness all the way - Leonidas · search the archive · Cocoa via Rainforest Alliance and Cocoa Horizons; 2,450 farms, 3,000 t beans; Beyond Chocolate charter; no palm oil; no origin countries
- FAQ - Leonidas · search the archive · Pralines made in Belgium; no palm oil added, only traces in some orangettes; no cocoa origin countries named
- Leonidas catalogue · search the archive · Materials: hazelnut praliné used in dozens of pralines, bars and eggs; no hazelnut origin or certification given
Company details
- Headquarters
- Belgium
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Leonidas ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/leonidas, 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 Leonidas.