Child labour risks in chocolate supply chains go beyond just cocoa
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Child labour risks in chocolate supply chains go beyond just cocoa
While cocoa gets the most attention from the chocolate industry when it comes to eliminating child labour, other ingredients like sugar, nuts or vanilla are also high risk.
On June 11, the International Labour Organisation announced its global estimate for child labourExternal link that it publishes every four years. The report, that it prepared with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), revealed that the prevalence of child labour fell from 160 million children in 2020 to 137.6 million in 2024.
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However, agriculture still accounts for the largest share of child labourers at 61% and sub-Saharan Africa remains the region with the highest prevalence at 21%. This does not bode well for the chocolate industry, which sources about 75% of its cocoa from West Africa.
The sector has one of the highest risks of having child labour in its supply chains. Between January 2014 and January 2024, consultancy firm Morningstar Sustainalytics identified 612 human rights incidents related to food supply chains through media monitoring. Of these, 27% were linked to child labour on cocoa farms that supplied seven major cocoa players including three based in Switzerland: Nestlé, Lindt & Sprüngli and Barry Callebaut.
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Chocolate companies are aware of the reputational risk cocoa presents and have invested in minimising it. Nestlé, for example, has invested about $45 million (CHF37 million) a year since 2012 to source sustainable cocoa. In 2022 Nestlé, which makes KitKat and Cailler chocolate, announced it was tripling its annual investment and committed to spend a total of CHF1.3 billion by 2030.
“Chocolate companies have rightly focused considerable efforts on addressing child labour in their cocoa supply chains, and we commend those commitments. However, it’s crucial to acknowledge that their supply chains extend far beyond cocoa,” says Eleanor Harry, CEO of UK-based sustainability consultancy HACE.
“We frequently see evidence of child labour in the production of other key ingredients such as sugarcane, nuts, vanilla and various dairy products that find their way into chocolate products.”
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Swiss chocolate companies have started to look at their non-cocoa raw materials for child labour risk. For example, Nestlé and Lindt & Sprüngli have identified child labour risks of sourcing the bulk of their hazelnuts from the Black Sea Region of Turkey. Because hazelnut harvest occurs during the school holidays, the children of seasonal migrant workers accompany their parents to the orchards, increasing the risk they may participate in hazardous tasks.
Both companies are working to address the problem by collaborating with their suppliers to open summer schools for these children. Harry wants them to extend this kind of supplier monitoring across their entire raw material supply chain.
“While some chocolate companies have identified these risks and have occasionally implemented an intervention, the lack of consistent scrutiny and investment into these ‘hidden’ supply chains not only perpetuates the exploitation of children but also exposes companies to significant operational vulnerabilities and profound reputational damage,” she says.
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Chocolate companies are trying to replicate cocoa sourcing standards to all of their major raw materials.
Lindt & Sprüngli has listed 12 priority materials that it wants to source or start sourcing responsibly by 2025: cocoa, Turkish hazelnuts, palm oil, raw sugar (cane and beet), vanilla, soy lecithin, eggs (own production), pulp- and paper-based packaging, almonds, dairy, coconut oil and coffee.
Nestlé lists 14 key ingredients that it wants to source responsibly by 2030: cereals and grains; cocoa; coconut; coffee; dairy; fish and seafood; hazelnuts; meat, poultry and eggs; palm oil; pulp and paper; soy; spices; sugar; and vegetables. As of 2024, only 44.5% of these key ingredients made the cut.
“Comprehensive due diligence across all ingredients – not just the most scrutinised – is essential for truly ethical and resilient supply chains,” Harry says.
Edited by Virginie Mangin/ts
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