Chocolate & cocoa
Nearly half the world's cocoa grows on small family farms in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, where most farmers earn less than a living income and child labour is widespread.
1.56 million
children were doing child labour on cocoa farms in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana in 2018-19
45%
of children in farming households in the cocoa areas did child labour in cocoa, up from 31% a decade earlier
13%
of cocoa-farming households in Côte d'Ivoire earn a living income
SourceFoodNavigator (2024): Living income in cocoa (opens in a new tab)
How the 111 brands we've graded split
The industry at a glance
Cocoa is grown on farms of a few hectares, cut from the tree with machetes and dried in the sun. It's then sold through co-operatives and traders to the companies that grind it, so few chocolate brands can name the farms their cocoa came from.
In Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, the governments set the price farmers are paid and sell most of each harvest in advance. (FoodNavigator, 2024: Living income in cocoa (opens in a new tab))
Labour Lens grades chocolate on where its cocoa is grown, and checks whether the company finds and fixes child labour on cocoa farms, through Fairtrade, Fair for Life or its own published monitoring.
On the record
- Cocoa output in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana rose 62% over the decade to 2018-19, to about 3 million tonnes, while child labour in cocoa areas grew. (ConfectioneryNews, 2020: NORC final report released, finds over 1m cases of child labour in West Africa's cocoa sector (opens in a new tab))
- About 95% of the children in child labour on cocoa farms do hazardous work, one of the worst forms of child labour. (ConfectioneryNews, 2020: NORC final report released, finds over 1m cases of child labour in West Africa's cocoa sector (opens in a new tab))
- Only 10% of cocoa-farming households in Ghana earn a living income, according to Oxfam America. (FoodNavigator, 2024: Living income in cocoa (opens in a new tab))
- Farmers in Ghana receive about 70% of the cocoa export price, and in Côte d'Ivoire about 60%. (FoodNavigator, 2024: Living income in cocoa (opens in a new tab))
- From October 2022, Fairtrade's living income reference price for cocoa was US$2.39 a kilo in Côte d'Ivoire and US$2.12 in Ghana. (FoodNavigator, 2024: Living income in cocoa (opens in a new tab))
- In the 2025 Chocolate Scorecard, which rates more than 60 companies, Tony's Chocolonely scored highest of the big companies at 91% and Beyond Good highest of the small ones at 94%. (ConfectioneryNews, 2025: Most ethical chocolate brands 2025 revealed in global Chocolate Scorecard (opens in a new tab))
- The US Department of Labor lists 16 resources in this industry from 30 countries as made with child or forced labour. See the list
Along the supply chain
Family farms in Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Ecuador, Nigeria and Cameroon
What happens here
Farms in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana average about 4 hectares and harvest well under what they could. Families earn little, and children often work the harvest, including with machetes and farm chemicals.
What we check
Whether its cocoa is Fairtrade or Fair for Life certified, or it runs child labour monitoring and publishes what it found and fixed.
Village buyers, co-operatives and exporters
What happens here
Cocoa from thousands of farms is pooled, so it can rarely be traced back to a farm unless a company sets up a system to do it.
What we check
Whether it names the co-operatives or farms it buys from.
Processors in Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, the Netherlands and elsewhere
What happens here
Beans are roasted and ground into cocoa butter, paste and powder. The US Department of Labor lists these products from Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and the Netherlands as made with cocoa picked by children.
What we check
Whether certification or tracing carries through from the farm to what it buys.
Big brands, supermarkets and bean-to-bar makers
What happens here
The maker decides what it pays for cocoa and whether to buy certified or directly traded beans.
What we check
Direct trade with named farms and published prices counts strongly. A small maker built around direct trade can be On Track on its own word.
Farms and plantations in Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia and elsewhere
What happens here
Hazelnuts from Turkey are on the US Department of Labor's child labour list, and palm oil from Malaysia and Indonesia is on it for child and forced labour.
What we check
Whether it traces hazelnuts and palm oil where they're a major part of its range.
The extra check for Good
Finds and fixes child labour on cocoa farms (Fairtrade, Fair for Life or its own published monitoring), and traces other high-risk ingredients (hazelnuts and palm oil) where they're a major part of its range.
Missing it holds a brand at On Track at best.
High-risk materials we look for
- Hazelnuts
- Child labour and very low pay on Turkish hazelnut farms.
- Palm oil
- Forced and child labour on some Malaysian and Indonesian plantations.
Resources on the US Department of Labor's list
The list names resources and the countries where the Department found child labour or forced labour in producing them. It covers whole countries, not companies.
16 resources shown
| Resource | Child labour | Forced labour |
|---|---|---|
| Sugarcane | Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, India, Kenya, Mexico, Myanmar, Paraguay, Philippines, Thailand, Uganda, Vietnam, Zimbabwe | Bolivia, Brazil, Dominican Republic, India, Myanmar, Pakistan |
| Cocoa | Brazil, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, Sierra Leone | Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria |
| Palm Fruit | Indonesia, Malaysia, Sierra Leone | Indonesia, Malaysia |
| Crude Palm Kernel Oil | Indonesia* (made with listed inputs), Malaysia* (made with listed inputs) | Indonesia* (made with listed inputs), Malaysia* (made with listed inputs) |
| Crude Palm Oil | Indonesia* (made with listed inputs), Malaysia* (made with listed inputs) | Indonesia* (made with listed inputs), Malaysia* (made with listed inputs) |
| Refined Palm Kernel Oil | Indonesia* (made with listed inputs), Malaysia* (made with listed inputs) | Indonesia* (made with listed inputs), Malaysia* (made with listed inputs) |
| Refined Palm Oil | Indonesia* (made with listed inputs), Malaysia* (made with listed inputs) | Indonesia* (made with listed inputs), Malaysia* (made with listed inputs) |
| Chocolate | Côte d'Ivoire* (made with listed inputs), Ghana* (made with listed inputs), Netherlands* (made with listed inputs) | Not listed |
| Cocoa Butter | Côte d'Ivoire* (made with listed inputs), Ghana* (made with listed inputs), Netherlands* (made with listed inputs) | Not listed |
| Cocoa Paste | Côte d'Ivoire* (made with listed inputs), Ghana* (made with listed inputs), Netherlands* (made with listed inputs) | Not listed |
| Cocoa Powder | Côte d'Ivoire* (made with listed inputs), Ghana* (made with listed inputs), Netherlands* (made with listed inputs) | Not listed |
| Vanilla | Madagascar, Uganda | Not listed |
| Hazelnuts | Türkiye | Not listed |
| Raw Sugar | Not listed | Dominican Republic* (made with listed inputs) |
| Refined Sugar | Not listed | Dominican Republic* (made with listed inputs) |
| Sugar Beets | Türkiye | Not listed |
* Made with inputs listed for child or forced labour, such as cocoa or cotton grown elsewhere.
What earns each grade
Good
12 of 111 brands
- Fairtrade or Fair for Life certified cocoa across its range
- Its own child labour monitoring, with published cases found and fixed, and evidence on what farmers earn
- Names the co-operatives or farms it buys from, or is fully certified
- Traces hazelnuts and palm oil where they're a major part of its range
For example Tony's Chocolonely, Alter Eco, Moser Roth · See all 12
On Track
6 of 111 brands
- Direct trade with named farms and published prices, but no child labour monitoring
- A top-tier Chocolate Scorecard rating, without proof that farmers earn a living income
- A small bean-to-bar maker built around direct trade with named farms, graded on its own word and marked *
For example Charley's Chocolate Factory, Daintree Estates, Guylian · See all 6
- Doesn't say where its cocoa comes from, so it's graded on conditions in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana
- Relies on Rainforest Alliance alone, which sets no minimum price
- Its own sustainability programme, with no independent checks or published results
For example merci, Toffifee, Ritter Sport · See all 91
- A confirmed child labour finding on farms it buys from, in the last five years, that it hasn't put right
- Forced labour found in its cocoa supply chain that it hasn't acted on
For example Galaxy (Dove), Mars (Maltesers, M&M's, Snickers)
Signs of a fair supply chain
- The Fairtrade or Fair for Life mark on the pack
- Named co-operatives or farms, with the price paid per kilo
- Published child labour monitoring, with cases found and fixed
- A top-tier Chocolate Scorecard rating
Warning signs
- A company's own sustainability logo, with no independent checks
- "Sustainably sourced" with no farms or co-operatives named
- Rainforest Alliance alone, with no minimum price for farmers
- Hazelnut or palm oil fillings of unknown origin
Try the rules
Pick an example or tick what a company can show, and see the grade the rules would give it.
The grade it would get
Grade: Lacks transparency
This company gets its cocoa from Côte d'Ivoire, but publishes no certification, independent audit or supplier list. Workers in Côte d'Ivoire are very unlikely to earn a living wage.
Good requirements 2 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certification
- 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 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
A made-up company, graded by the same rules as every brand on Labour Lens. What Lacks transparency means
The full rules are on the Grading page, with the finer points on Resources.
The brands we've graded
Where their cocoa is grown
82 of the 111 brands say where their cocoa is grown. The countries they name most:
| Country | Brands | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghana | 52 | Strong protections | Well below a living wage | Low |
| Côte d'Ivoire | 48 | Regular violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Ecuador | 37 | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Peru | 32 | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Dominican Republic | 31 | Strong protections | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Brazil | 21 | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Nigeria | 16 | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia | 14 | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
Good chocolate brands
Questions and answers
8 questions
Is any chocolate made without child labour?
No company can promise it, because child labour is so widespread in cocoa-growing areas. What separates companies is whether they look for it and fix what they find.
Fairtrade and Fair for Life audit farms for child labour, and some companies run their own monitoring and publish how many cases they found and resolved. Either passes Labour Lens's cocoa check for Good.
Does Fairtrade mean cocoa farmers earn a fair living?
It raises what they get, but doesn't guarantee a living income. Fairtrade sets a minimum price, pays a premium that farmer groups decide how to spend, and audits farms for child and forced labour.
Labour Lens counts it as a strong fair-pay scheme for Good, and the Fairtrade page sets out its limits.
What does the Rainforest Alliance frog mean?
Rainforest Alliance audits farms against its standard, which includes rules on child and forced labour. It sets no minimum price, so it's weaker on income than Fairtrade.
On its own it doesn't show that farmers earn a living, so a chocolate brand relying on it alone is usually Lacks transparency.
Why are cocoa farmers so poor?
Farms are small, about 4 hectares in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, and yields are around half of what they could be. The governments fix the farm-gate price, so a family's income rises only with its harvest, and most fall short of a living income.
FoodNavigator's report on living income in cocoa (opens in a new tab) sets out the figures.
What is the Chocolate Scorecard?
An annual rating of more than 60 chocolate companies, coordinated by Be Slavery Free. It scores companies on six areas, including traceability, child labour and farmer income.
A top-tier rating counts as working towards a living wage on Labour Lens, so it can make a brand On Track.
Do hazelnuts and palm oil matter?
Yes, in spreads, pralines and filled bars. Turkish hazelnuts are on the US Department of Labor's child labour list, and palm oil from Malaysia and Indonesia is on it for child and forced labour.
Where they're a major part of a company's range, it needs to trace them to be Good.
Is bean-to-bar or direct trade chocolate better?
Often, because a maker buying directly from named farms knows who grew its cocoa and what they were paid. Direct trade with published prices counts strongly on Labour Lens.
A small maker built around direct trade can be On Track on its own word, before it publishes prices or independent checks, if it has fewer than 250 staff, no parent company and gets less than half its cocoa from Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. Those grades are marked * as self-reported. The rule is on the Resources page.
Didn't the industry promise to end child labour in cocoa?
It did, in 2001. The chocolate industry signed the Harkin-Engel Protocol to end the worst forms of child labour in cocoa, and in 2010 the industry and the governments of Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana set a goal of cutting it by 70% by 2020.
The 2020 study for the US Department of Labor (opens in a new tab) found it had grown instead.
Sources
- Living income in cocoa (opens in a new tab) FoodNavigator, 2024
- NORC findings on child labor in cocoa growing areas of Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana (webinar slides) (opens in a new tab) US Department of Labor, 2020
- NORC final report released, finds over 1m cases of child labour in West Africa's cocoa sector (opens in a new tab) ConfectioneryNews, 2020
- Quarterly Bulletin of Cocoa Statistics: production (opens in a new tab) International Cocoa Organization, 2025
- Most ethical chocolate brands 2025 revealed in global Chocolate Scorecard (opens in a new tab) ConfectioneryNews, 2025
- List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor (opens in a new tab) US Department of Labor, Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), 2024
Figures are as each source published them. The grades and brand counts are Labour Lens's own, from the brands we've researched.
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