Nestlé S.A. — Ethics Grade D

Nestlé S.A. receives an overall ethics grade of D (28/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Consumer Goods. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 30
• privacy: 65
• consumer: 25
• environment: 22
• humanRights: 18

Documented incidents (5)

• Child labor in cocoa supply chain (high, 2021) — Supreme Court case revealed ongoing child labor in Ivory Coast cocoa farms supplying Nestlé. Thousands of children affected across West Africa.
• Top plastic polluter globally (high, 2019) — Named the world's top plastic polluter for the second consecutive year by Break Free From Plastic, with branded waste found in 51 countries.
• Water extraction in drought-stricken areas (high, 2018) — Continued extracting millions of gallons of water from drought-affected communities in California and Michigan for bottled water brands.
• Added sugar in baby food in developing nations (high, 2023) — Investigation found Nestlé adding sugar to infant formula and baby cereal sold in lower-income countries but not in European markets.
• Infant formula marketing scandal (high, 1977) — Aggressive marketing of baby formula in developing nations discouraged breastfeeding, contributing to infant malnutrition and deaths.

Documented good deeds

• Regenerative agriculture commitment — Pledged $1.2B toward regenerative farming practices across supply chain by 2030.
• Living wage program expansion — Extended living income programs to 160,000 cocoa-farming families in Ivory Coast and Ghana.

Ethical alternatives

• Tony's Chocolonely — 100% slave-free chocolate supply chain. Transparent pricing for farmers.
• Alter Eco — Fair Trade, organic, carbon-neutral. Full supply chain transparency.
• Seventh Generation — Plant-based, EPA Safer Choice certified products. B Corp certified.