Whittaker's
Partly verifiedWhittaker's isn't doing enough to protect workers: there's no proof workers earn a living wage, and its supply chain isn't independently checked. It does have some safeguards, as it makes most products in its own factories.
Last researched 8 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: 3 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: 0
None found.
Where it's made
| Country | Worker rights | Legal wages | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghana | Some protections | 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.
- Publishes supplier list
- Direct trade (self-reported)
- Owns or runs its own production
- Invests in worker and farming communities
Whittaker's is a family-owned New Zealand company that makes all its chocolate at its own factory in Porirua. Most of its cocoa comes from three named Rainforest Alliance-certified co-operatives in Ghana, a country on the US Department of Labor's child and forced labour goods list for cocoa, with small amounts from Samoa and Nicaragua; it switched from Fairtrade to Rainforest Alliance in 2020, which carries no minimum price, and reports 100% traceable cocoa since 2023. It scored 49% (orange, mid-table) in the latest Chocolate Scorecard, with child labour monitoring left mainly to Rainforest Alliance and no published child labour cases or living income figures.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate Scorecard | Found | Scored 49% overall (orange, 14th of 34) in the latest Chocolate Scorecard, described as needing significantly more work; not in the top tier. View ↗ |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Switched its Ghanaian cocoa from Fairtrade to Rainforest Alliance certification in 2020. View ↗ |
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Found | Cocoa from Ghana, its main origin, is on the US Department of Labor child or forced labour goods list. View ↗ |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | No allegations against Whittaker's appear on the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. View ↗ |
Sources (10)
- Rainforest Alliance – Whittaker's · archived copy · All Ghanaian beans are Rainforest Alliance certified; names Assin Fosu, Tarkwa-Huni Valley and Asankragwa co-operatives; Rainforest Alliance representatives check school attendance; Samoan cocoa impor
- From cocoa to concrete: How we're supporting our Ghanaian farmers – Whittaker's · archived copy · Funded school washrooms, boreholes and geo-mapping in Ghanaian co-operative communities; direct relationships with Samoan and Nicaraguan growers.
- Modern Slavery Policy – Whittaker's · archived copy · Relies on Rainforest Alliance and Agro Eco for due diligence; direct trade with Savai'i Koko in Samoa; all chocolate made at its Porirua factory; family-owned.
- Whittaker's Reaches Ethical Sourcing Milestone – Supermarket News · archived copy · October 2023: 100% traceable cocoa; since 2020 committed to 100% Rainforest Alliance certified Ghanaian beans; most chocolate uses Ghanaian beans.
- Disappointment in Whittaker's move to lower certification standards – Trade Aid · archived copy · August 2020: Whittaker's switched from Fairtrade to Rainforest Alliance, which has no minimum price.
- Whittaker's – Chocolate Scorecard · archived copy · Overall 49%, ranked 14 of 34: 'Needs significantly more work on policy and implementation'; Living Income 58%, Child & Forced Labor 68%, Traceability 72%.
- Whittaker's – Shop Ethical · archived copy · 2026 Chocolate Scorecard score of 49%, an orange rating; family-owned private company.
- Good eggs: 2024 Chocolate Scorecard – Macquarie University Lighthouse · archived copy · 2024 top-tier 'Good Eggs' were Original Beans, Beyond Good and Ritter Sport, not Whittaker's.
- Whittaker's – Wikipedia · archived copy · Privately owned by the Whittaker family; 2020 Rainforest Alliance announcement for products using Ghanaian beans; small amounts of Samoan and Nicaraguan beans.
- ILAB Cocoa Storyboard – US Department of Labor · archived copy · Cocoa from Ghana has been on the List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor since 2009.
Last researched 8 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.