Lotte Ghana
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
Lotte's milk and dark chocolate brand.
Lotte Ghana 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.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Lotte Ghana? Send a right of reply.
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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 (palm oil) where they're a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: 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 Lotte Ghana'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 Lotte Ghana 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
- Traces high-risk raw materials to the mine or farm and fixes problems 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 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 Lotte buys its cocoa mainly from Ghana. Lotte Japan says 84% of its cocoa in FY2025, and all of its Ghanaian cocoa, was 'Lotte Sustainable Cacao': traced to the farm, with child labour monitoring (ICI's CLMRS or similar) and farm mapping, aiming for 100% by FY2028. It publishes no child labour case numbers, supplier list or living income plan, and its programme is not independently certified. It funds school and health projects in Ghanaian cocoa areas. Palm oil is used across its products; only 7.5% was certified in FY2020 and newer figures were not found. Korean Lotte Wellfood's sourcing is less disclosed; it scored 25% in the 2026 Chocolate Scorecard.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate Scorecard | Listed | Lotte Wellfood (Korea) scored 25% in the 2026 (7th edition) Chocolate Scorecard, 'needs significantly more work on policy and implementation' (as listed by Ethical Consumer Australia); Lotte scored about 21% in 2025. View |
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Listed | Cocoa from Ghana, Lotte's main cocoa origin, is on the US DOL list of goods produced with child labour. View |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Ghana chocolate is not Fairtrade certified; Lotte uses its own 'Lotte Sustainable Cacao' programme. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Chocolate makers (Ethical Consumer Australia) · search the archive · Lotte Wellfood scored 25% in Be Slavery Free's 2026 Chocolate Scorecard: 'needs significantly more work'
- Lotte sponsors menstrual hygiene event in Ghana cocoa region (PR Times) · search the archive · Lotte Sustainable Cacao 84% of cocoa in FY2025, 100% of Ghana cocoa; farm traceability, CLMRS, mapping; 100% target FY2028
- Lotte chief vows sustainable cacao sourcing in Ghana · search the archive · 2024 joint Korean-Japanese Lotte cocoa project in Ghana including child labour monitoring
- Lotte Ghana Milk Chocolate 50 g (Amazon Australia) · search the archive · Ghana chocolate available online in Australia
Published by Lotte Ghana or its owner
- Lotte teacher housing project in Ghana (Lotte, Jan 2025) · search the archive · Teacher housing at Juligun Basic School in a Lotte cocoa sourcing area, linked to child labour prevention
- Lotte Sustainability (Lotte Japan) · search the archive · Ghana is a main cocoa source; work on child labour, deforestation and farmer training
- Lotte sustainability data: palm oil and cocoa (2021) · search the archive · Palm oil used across products; 7.5% certified in FY2020; RSPO member
Company details
- Headquarters
- Japan
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Lotte Ghana ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/lotte-ghana, 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 Lotte Ghana.