Valrhona
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
French chocolate maker selling to pastry chefs.
There's no proof the people who grow its cocoa earn more than the legal minimum, which in Côte d'Ivoire is far below a living wage.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Valrhona? Send a right of reply.
Compare Valrhona with another brand
Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 2 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
- 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
- Not met: Respects worker rightsSome of its cocoa is grown in countries such as Ecuador and Indonesia, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- 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
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listNames its suppliers
- 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 range
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Made partly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
| 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 Valrhona'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
From Valrhona's own disclosure: it names its suppliers. Its list covers only part of its range. 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 |
| Ecuador | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| CameroonUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| NigeriaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Dominican Republic | Strong protections | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Peru | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Brazil | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Madagascar | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Haiti | No guarantee of rights | Not rated | High |
| Venezuela | No guarantee of rights | Not rated | High |
| Togo | Regular violations | Well below a living wage | Low |
| Belize, Grenada, São Tomé and Príncipe | We don't have labour ratings for these countries yet. | ||
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. (partly offset by certification or direct sourcing) Source
- Publishes supplier list
- Traces high-risk raw materials to the mine or farm and fixes problems found
- Direct trade (self-reported)
- Invests in worker and farming communities
- It doesn't show that it checks cocoa farms for child labour and fixes what it finds.
- Uses hazelnuts in only a few products and doesn't show where they come from. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of them traced, certified or upcycled.
Research notes Valrhona says all its cocoa beans have been traceable to producers since 2018 and all partner plots were GPS-mapped by 2024. It names 15 partner producers in 14 countries, including Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Dominican Republic, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, Madagascar and Indonesia, but gives no volumes. It pays premiums, compares prices with living income benchmarks and aims for farmers to reach a living income by 2030; 30% of beans were Fairtrade in 2024. It funds child labour monitoring in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana but publishes no case numbers.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| B Corp directory | Certified | Valrhona has been a Certified B Corp since January 2020 and is listed as certified, with a B Impact score of 91.0. View |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Unclear | 30% of Valrhona's cocoa bean purchases were Fairtrade certified in 2024; it aims for all purchases to be fair trade certified by 2030. View |
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Listed | Cocoa from Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, two of Valrhona's origins, is on the US list of goods made with child or forced labour. View |
| Chocolate Scorecard | Listed | Valrhona ranked 18th of 34 medium and large companies in the 2026 (7th edition) Chocolate Scorecard, below the top tier. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Valrhona: Certified B Corporation (B Lab directory) · search the archive · Certified B Corp since January 2020; overall B Impact score 91.0.
- Chocolate Scorecard (7th edition, 2026) · search the archive · 2026 ranking: Valrhona 18th and Barry Callebaut 19th of 34 companies.
- Valrhona Hazelnut Praline (Gourmet Food World) · search the archive · Valrhona sells hazelnut praliné pastes alongside its main chocolate range.
Published by Valrhona or its owner
- Valrhona: Our cocoa partners · search the archive · Names 15 partner producers in 14 countries (two in the Dominican Republic); 16,979 cocoa producers; partnerships 8 years on average.
- Valrhona Sustainable Cocoa Policies: Our approach to traceability (2025) · search the archive · 100% of cocoa bean purchases traceable since 2018; 100% of partner plots mapped by end of 2024.
- Valrhona Sustainable Cocoa Policies: Fair pricing policy (2025) · search the archive · Premiums above market; compares with LIRP; living income aim by 2030; 30% Fairtrade volumes in 2024.
- Valrhona Sustainable Cocoa Policies: Child labor policy (2025) · search the archive · Funds ICI-method child labour monitoring in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana since 2023; no case figures.
Company details
- Headquarters
- France
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Valrhona ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/valrhona, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded chocolate
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Valrhona.