Lindt
Partly verified✓ Checks its own supply chain. Lindt 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.
Lindt isn't doing enough to protect workers: workers in Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire and Ecuador are very unlikely to earn a living wage, and unions and workers' rights are heavily restricted in Ecuador. It does have some safeguards, as it reports and fixes child labour cases it finds.
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: 1
- Does not pay a living wage
Where it's made
| Country | Worker rights | Legal wages | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghana 73% | Some protections | Well below a living wage | Low |
| Côte d'Ivoire 16% | Regular violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Ecuador 9% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Peru 2% | Regular violations | Well below a living wage | Low |
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. (partly offset by certification or direct sourcing)
- Rainforest Alliance: Audited farm standard with no minimum price; weaker on wages than Fairtrade.
- 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
Lindt buys its cocoa beans through its own Farming Program, mostly in Ghana, with all bean supply chains traced and verified by the Earthworm Foundation, and since 2026 all its cocoa is Rainforest Alliance certified. Child labour monitoring covered only 57% of cocoa from high-risk countries in 2022, and its 87 cases found in Ghana in 2021 were far fewer than peers report, which critics say points to weak detection. It runs only a living income pilot and has no public deadline for farmers to earn a living income.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate Scorecard | Found | Lindt & Sprüngli scored 59% and ranked 9th in the 2025 Chocolate Scorecard, below the top tier. View ↗ |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Lindt uses Rainforest Alliance certification for its cocoa, not Fairtrade. View ↗ |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Found | Lindt & Sprüngli (Australia) Pty Ltd lodges modern slavery statements, including for 2022. View ↗ |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Unclear | Lindt & Sprüngli UK Ltd has published a Modern Slavery Act statement, held on file by BHRRC. View ↗ |
| KnowTheChain | Found | Lindt & Sprüngli is assessed in the 2026 KnowTheChain Food & Beverage forced labour benchmark. View ↗ |
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Found | Cocoa from Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire, Lindt's main origins, is on the US list of goods made with child or forced labour. View ↗ |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Found | Records the 2024 SRF child labour investigation and the 2026 US lawsuit against Lindt over child labour in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. 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? |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Lindt's 2022 Australian modern slavery statement reports that 788 children in its cocoa supply chain received remediation support for child labour, confirming child labour on supplying farms in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. Found and being fixed by the company Not counted against the grade, because the company found and published it itself. | Partly Remediation support given to the children identified. |
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 Swiss public television (SRF) investigation in 2024 filmed children aged five to eight harvesting and carrying cocoa on Ghanaian farms supplying Lindt; Lindt said it condemns child labour and would investigate. Source ↗
- International Rights Advocates sued Lindt's US companies in Washington DC in 2026 under consumer protection law, alleging its child labour monitoring is ineffective and its marketing misleading; Lindt denies the claims. Source ↗
Sources (11)
- Lindt & Sprüngli (Australia) Pty Ltd Modern Slavery Statement 2022 · archived copy · Farming Program farmers by country (Ghana 78,198; Côte d'Ivoire 16,926; Ecuador 9,146; Dominican Republic 4,544; Peru 2,274; Madagascar 865; PNG 850); 100% of beans identity-preserved; 97% of farms ma
- Lindt & Sprüngli claims 100% traceable cocoa beans (ConfectioneryNews) · archived copy · 100% bean traceability externally verified by Earthworm Foundation (2021)
- Lindt & Sprüngli (Earthworm Foundation) · archived copy · Earthworm verifies all Farming Program supply chains covering 100% of beans
- Lindt hits 100% cocoa milestone (ConfectioneryNews) · archived copy · All Lindt cocoa Rainforest Alliance certified (2026); living income pilot program
- Children work in chocolate maker Lindt's supply chain in Ghana (Swissinfo) · archived copy · SRF 2024 investigation filmed children aged 6 and 8 carrying cocoa pods; Lindt statement
- Lindt & Sprüngli: In Schweizer Schoggi steckt Kinderarbeit (SRF) · archived copy · Lindt found 87 child labour cases in 8,491 checks in Ghana in 2021, far fewer than peers
- Lindt & Sprüngli hit with child labor allegations (ConfectioneryNews) · archived copy · Lindt condemned child labour and said it would investigate the allegations
- D.C. chocolate showdown: lawsuit targets Lindt over child labor claims (Hoodline) · archived copy · International Rights Advocates filed suit in DC under consumer protection law in 2026
- Lindt & Sprüngli facing US claims of supply chain child labour (Confectionery Production) · archived copy · Lindt denies the lawsuit's allegations
- 2025 Chocolate Scorecard companies · archived copy · Lindt & Sprüngli scored 59% in the 2025 Chocolate Scorecard; top tier is 75% and above
- ILAB Cocoa Storyboard (US Department of Labor) · archived copy · Cocoa from Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana listed for child and forced labour since 2009
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.