OU-supported Chocolate Scorecard highlights poverty, deforestation and child labour

Posted on 20 May 2026 • Business

The Open University (OU) is proud to be part of the 7^th Edition of the Chocolate Scorecard which this year reveals the stark reality behind the confectionary’s production.

Most cocoa farmers earn below a living income, the forests are still falling, and the children are still working, the Scorecard finds, as it grades chocolate companies on their sustainability levels and ethics.

The annual initiative is coordinated by Be Slavery Free in collaboration with an international team of non-profit organisations and academics, including the OU and the University of Wollongong (Australia) who ensure the research is rigorous, transparent, and adheres to high ethical standards.

Stand-out findings from this year’s Scorecard were:

• Top three concerns for cocoa farming are farmer poverty, deforestation and child labour

• Two thirds of cocoa farmers are earning below the living wage

• The Bad Egg award went to Starbucks who yet again refused to take part!

• British retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Lidl have also refused to take part. However Coop is top of the list and scored 75%

• Oxfam Fair Trade scored surprisingly low, with their lowest scores being for deforestation and agroforestry/climate

The OU’s lead academic Dr Cristiana Bernardi, Senior Lecturer in Accounting and Financial Management has been part of the international team since 2022.

Of the 7^th Edition report Dr Bernardi said:

“The cocoa sector now has more data and visibility than ever, but progress remains uneven and too many companies are still failing to turn transparency into accountable action.

“The Scorecard shows that meaningful sustainability depends not on better reporting alone, but on whether companies use evidence to improve farmer incomes, protect children, prevent deforestation, and reduce harm across cocoa-growing communities.”

The Chocolate Scorecard is led by Be Slavery Free who with its partners is committed to transforming the chocolate industry for the better – for people, planet, and primates.

Chocolate Scorecard survey first received ethics approval in 2022 from the Humanities and Social Science (HASS) Human Research Ethics committee from The Open University (UK) and the University of Wollongong (Australia).

The Scorecard team points out that the label on the back of the chocolate bar purchased in a shop will not provide insights such as how the farmer was paid, whether children worked the harvest, or whether forest was cleared to grow the cocoa. The Chocolate Scorecard does its best to show the bigger picture.

Visit chocolatescorecard to see how the chocolate in a shopping trolley scores and read more of the 7^th Edition highlights.

Main image credit: Nawal Escape, Pixabay