Zokoko
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
Small family bean-to-bar chocolate maker near Penrith.
There's no proof the people who grow its cocoa earn more than the legal minimum, which in Tanzania is far below a living wage.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 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 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 its cocoa is grown: worker rights are poorly protected in Tanzania, Ecuador and Cameroon.
- 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 where they're a major part of its range
Red flags 1
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Estimates for its products
Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using Zokoko'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
Product labels show Tanzania. Press and retailer reports name Bolivia. The rest is shown as where cocoa is usually grown.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Côte d'IvoireUsual for the industry | Regular violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| GhanaUsual for the industry | Strong protections | Well below a living wage | Low |
| Tanzania | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Low |
| Bolivia | Regular violations | Not rated | 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 |
| Solomon Islands | We don't have labour ratings for this country 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)
- Direct trade (self-reported)
- It doesn't show that it checks cocoa farms for child labour and fixes what it finds.
Research notes Zokoko still trades from Emu Heights, NSW, and ships only within Australia. It says it works with growers on fermenting and drying, but its own website names no origin countries, farms or prices. Its Mbingu bars use cacao from the Kilombero district of Tanzania (per a stockist), and Penrith's tourism site says its beans come from farms in Bolivia, the Solomon Islands and Tanzania. Its flavoured blends name no origins. It holds no Fairtrade or other labour certification.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Not on the Fairtrade ANZ chocolate brand list and makes no Fairtrade claim. View |
| B Corp directory | Not listed | No B Corp certification is claimed on the company's website. View |
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Unclear | Its reported origins (Tanzania, Bolivia, Solomon Islands) are partial and not company-confirmed, so exposure to the US child labour list for cocoa cannot be fully assessed. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not covered | No modern slavery statement; a small business far below the A$100m reporting threshold. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | No allegations involving Zokoko were identified. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Fairtrade ANZ - Fairtrade chocolate brands · search the archive · Zokoko is not on the Fairtrade ANZ chocolate brand list.
- Bean Bar You – Zokoko Mbingu Dark · search the archive · Made with cacao sourced directly from the Kilombero district of Tanzania; no farm or co-op named.
- Zokoko is where all your chocolate dreams come true (Visit Penrith) · search the archive · Beans come from farms in Bolivia (Tranquilidad), the Solomon Islands (Marovo Lagoon) and Tanzania (Kilombero).
Published by Zokoko or its owner
- Zokoko - home page · search the archive · Founded 2006; Emu Heights NSW shop and hours; 2026 copyright; works 'with farmers instead of just buying from them'; bars named Mbingu and Alto Beni.
- Zokoko - Our Process · search the archive · Says it sources beans directly from growers and works with them on fermenting and drying; names no countries, farms or prices.
- Zokoko - About · search the archive · Works with farmers worldwide and shares harvest notes so they can sell at a higher premium; no farms named.
- Zokoko - Shipping · search the archive · Ships within Australia only, $15 flat express post.
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Zokoko ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/zokoko, 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
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Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Zokoko.