Pocky
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources
Glico's chocolate-coated biscuit sticks.
Pocky publishes no certification, independent audit or supplier list.
Also worth knowing
Workers in 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 (palm oil) 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
| 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 Pocky'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
Pocky names some of the countries its cocoa comes from: Ghana. The rest is shown as where cocoa is usually grown.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghana | Strong protections | Well below a living wage | Low |
| Côte d'IvoireUsual for the industry | Regular violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| 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.
- Invests in worker and farming communities
- It doesn't show that it checks cocoa farms for child labour and fixes what it finds.
- Traces or certifies most but not all of its palm oil. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
Research notes Glico names only Ghana (Assin Fosu/Assin South district) as a cocoa origin and says it is 'one of' its sourcing areas; other origins and shares are not disclosed. It says 100% of its beans have come through producer-support purchasing routes since the 2021-22 crop, a company programme rather than independent certification, and plans a child labour prevention system meeting Child Labor Free Zone requirements by end-2026. It publishes no child labour monitoring results, supplier list or wage data. Pocky has used RSPO mass-balance palm oil since 2021.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate Scorecard | Unclear | Glico was rated in the 2025 (6th edition) Chocolate Scorecard in a low-scoring group (scores of about 10-21%); its exact score is not clear. It appears in the 7th edition (2026) ranking at position 32 (37 in the 6th); its 2026 score was not shown. View |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Glico names no Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance certification for its cocoa; it buys through its own producer-support routes in Ghana. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- 2025 Chocolate Scorecard companies · search the archive · Glico listed among companies scoring about 10-21% in the 2025 Chocolate Scorecard
- Chocolate Scorecard · search the archive · 7th edition ranking lists Glico at 32 (37 in 6th edition)
- Glico Pocky Chocolate Biscuit Sticks 8 pack (Woolworths) · search the archive · Pocky sold at Woolworths in Australia; made in Thailand
Published by Pocky or its owner
- Glico Group cacao procurement policy (rev. Nov 2024) · search the archive · Ghana (Assin South) named as one sourcing area; 100% beans via producer-support routes since 2021-22 crop; CLFZ-aligned plans
- Glico joins Sustainable Cacao Platform (Glico, Jan 2023) · search the archive · Assin Fosu, Ghana; child labour system by end-2026; schooling and farmer support
- Glico Group palm oil procurement policy · search the archive · RSPO member since FY2019; RSPO mass-balance oil in Pocky and Bisco since 2021; all products by end-2025
Company details
- Owned by
- Ezaki Glico Co., Ltd.
- Headquarters
- Japan
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Pocky ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/pocky, 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 Pocky.