Swiss chocolate manufacturer Lindt has been sued in a United States federal court over allegations that it relies on child labour in its cocoa supply chain while presenting itself as a company committed to ethical sourcing and the protection of human rights.
The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday in the federal court in Washington, D.C., alleges that Lindt falsely assures consumers that it is working to eliminate child labour from its supply chain and is committed to upholding children’s rights and broader human rights standards. According to the complaint, the company has known for more than 20 years that cocoa used in its products is produced with child labour and has continued to profit from the practice.
The complaint argues that consumers would reasonably expect a company promoting strong ethical standards to ensure that its products are not linked to widespread child labour. “A reasonable consumer would not expect a company ‘committed to respecting human rights’ and ‘conducting business in an ethical, legal and environmentally and socially responsible manner’ to use widespread child labor in its cocoa supply chain,” the filing states.
According to the complaint, Lindt sources 100% of its consumer-grade cocoa beans from Ghana and also obtains cocoa butter from Ivory Coast. The lawsuit contends that these sourcing practices are inconsistent with the company’s public commitments regarding responsible procurement and human rights.
The case was brought by International Rights Advocates, a public interest law firm that has previously pursued similar litigation against major chocolate manufacturers, including Mars, Mondelez and Nestlé, alleging that they relied on child labour in their cocoa supply chains.
Lindt has rejected the allegations. In an emailed statement on Thursday, a company spokesperson said, “Lindt & Sprungli takes the issue of child labor very seriously and strongly condemns all forms of child labor and denies the allegations in the complaint.” The spokesperson added that the company has supplier protocols in place and “systematically investigate[s] suspected cases of child labor in our supply chain.”
The Kilchberg, Switzerland-based company also points to its existing sustainability commitments. Its website outlines a 2030 Sustainability Plan that describes efforts to support cocoa farmers in West Africa and reduce the risks associated with child labour. Lindt also publishes a “Modern Slavery Statement”, which details what it describes as a tailored strategy to reduce such risks, including adherence to Rainforest Alliance certification standards for farming practices.
Despite those published commitments, the lawsuit alleges that the company’s implementation of its policies has been inadequate. Terry Collingsworth, executive director of International Rights Advocates, said in an email that his research “confirmed that Lindt, like the other major cocoa companies, has great paper policies and virtually no implementation, particularly on the child labor issue.”
The lawsuit seeks a court order to halt what it describes as Lindt’s alleged “unlawful conduct directed at D.C. consumers” but does not seek monetary damages.
The case is the latest legal action brought by International Rights Advocates targeting alleged labour abuses within global supply chains. In addition to its litigation against several chocolate manufacturers, the firm has also filed lawsuits against Apple, Cargill and Starbucks over allegations of forced labour in their supply chains. Lindt has denied the claims made against it, and the case will proceed through the US legal process.
