Nestlé — Ethics Grade D

Nestlé receives an overall ethics grade of D (38/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Food & Beverage. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 30
• privacy: 60
• consumer: 40
• environment: 35
• humanRights: 25

Documented incidents (3)

• Child Labor in Cocoa Supply Chain (high, 2021) — Nestlé was named in a federal class-action lawsuit for allegedly benefiting from forced child labor on cocoa farms in West Africa. Despite pledges, thousands of children continue to work in hazardous conditions within their supply chain.
• Baby Food Sugar Controversy (high, 2024) — A report revealed that Nestlé adds excessive sugar to baby food and cereal products sold in low-income countries, while keeping similar products in European markets sugar-free, contributing to child obesity.
• Plastic Pollution Ranking (high, 2023) — Consistently ranked as one of the world's top plastic polluters by 'Break Free From Plastic' audits conducted across 80+ countries. The company produces over 1 million tons of plastic packaging annually.

Documented good deeds

• Cocoa Forest Initiative — Distributed over 2 million trees to farmers to promote agroforestry and restore degraded forests in cocoa-growing regions.

Ethical alternatives

• Tony's Chocolonely — Committed to 100% slave-free chocolate and pay higher premiums to farmers.