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Using Nestles rating from the Chocolate Scorecard, it would suggest that they are doing a fair job  in addressing human rights in their supply chain in the areas of traceability and transparency, child and forced labor, and in deforestation.  It would also suggest that they are going ok, but with improvements to be made in the areas of agroforestry and Climate, pesticides, and gender.  They are also ranked as requiring significantly more work on policy and implementation on the area of living income.

The challenges that Nestle face relate to their scale.  As one of the largest companies in this industry they have a large supply chain, and thus need traceability and transparency if they are to achieve compliance and improvements.  One approach to achieving this is to analyse and engage with those companies that are ranked highly on the chocolate scorecard and look to emulate and learn from them

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Using Nestles rating from the Chocolate Scorecard, it would suggest that they are doing a fair job  in addressing human rights in their supply chain in the areas of traceability and transparency, child and forced labor, and in deforestation.  It would also suggest that they are going ok, but with improvements to be made in the areas of agroforestry and Climate, pesticides, and gender.  They are also ranked as requiring significantly more work on policy and implementation on the area of living income.

The challenges that Nestle face relate to their scale.  As one of the largest companies in this industry they have a large supply chain, and thus need traceability and transparency if they are to achieve compliance and improvements.  One approach to achieving this is to analyse and engage with those companies that are ranked highly on the chocolate scorecard and look to emulate and learn from them

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Nestle was scored 40% on living income for cocoa farmers.  To improve this score, Nestle could consider:

Having a statement recognising a living income as a basic human right

Having a time-bound action plan with a long-term commitment to farmers earning a living income

Using an actual living income calculation to benchmark their programs

Making payments to farmers on top of farm gate price and mandatory differentials

Investing in development projects determined in consultation with the communities they are sourcing from.

Nestle score 72% on child labour eradication.  To achieve a high score in this area, a company like Nestle would;

Have a policy on child labor

Implement a A Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation System (CLMRS)

•Be addressing root causes of child labour such as poverty and other human rights factors

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Nestles current strategies are effective in addressing modern slavery.  But like any policy it needs continual ongoing efforts to identify and address risks in the supply chain.

The company needs to ensure that they identify , asses and address modern slavery risks at all levels of the organization, and that the risks they identify are eliminated from the supply chain gin future years. This is a long term goal, not something that can be done as a one off report, feedback loops need to be build in to all levels of the policy and the organization to ensure that modern slavery is identified and the policies amended to reflect the new changes.

Nestles Human Rights Framework and the transparency they have adopted on its implementation across the company is a good starting point, but continuous improvement means embedding the framework in the way they conduct their business.

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The Chocolate score card annually ranks chocolate companies on key sustainability issues, and is voluntary. The score card marks against 6 items:

-            Traceability

-            Living Income

-            Child & forced labour

-            Deforestation & Climate Change

-            Agroforestry

-            Pesticides

Nestle ranks 5th in the current Chocolate score card, with a score of 70% overall. Ritter sport ranked 4th on the list comes in at 83% with only one item (pesticides) ranked as starting to develop. The gap in the overall % shows that Nestle still has some way to go before being able to be counted in the top 4.

Nestle have been scored as leading the industry in traceability and transparency as well as their Child and forced labour policies and Child Labour Monitoring and Remediation Systems (CLMRS).

For Living wages and Deforestation they have been marked as starting to develop and implement good policies.

Where they fall down to Needs more work on implementation and policy is Agroforestry and Pesticides.

Nestle has developed policies and procedures for supplying a living income to coco farmers and child labour eradication. It needs time to develop these further and ensure that the policies are implemented and actioned at all layers of the organization. The policies need to be embedded into all actions the company takes and the mind set needs to used to support farmers such that they do not need to use child labour or allow anyone else affiliated with he organization to use child labour.

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As Nestlé have identified the issue, or rather, as they have been held accountable, they acknowledge the legal, financial, and reputational impact that such a breach in human rights is having on their product. What is impressive in their strategic suite, is the focus on understanding the root cause. As a giant Swiss company, it is highly unlikely that truly understand the nuances of a small village-community in Ghana. They risk misunderstanding, and failed practices unless they trust and respect local actors to collaborate with. Likewise, the issue itself may not be fully understood, if the training and alternative income streams are not relevant or achievable.

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While it is of grave concern that Nestlé have such a terrible record in regards to employee exploitation, the fact that such a giant in the global food sector is prepared to stand up, and be fully transparent, with statements, 3-third party audits, self-policing and training is to be...and it's actually hard to find the word...admirable. They can only keep going with what is a remarkable scaffolding of this issue. It is still shameful that only 96.2% of cocoa is covered by due diligence, however, that figure is transparent, leading to all stakeholders holding Nestlé to account. Like the pet-food buyers did to Fancy Feast to court, no more Kit-Kats for me.

As discussed in earlier modules, improvement can only start with investing in local actors, norms and expectations. Nestlé will fail if the deep long-term impact of child labour is not understood, and respectfully addressed, with empowerment, relevant alternatives, and long-term investment in generational change.

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Question 2

In your opinion, how effective are Nestlé's current strategies in addressing modern slavery in its supply chain? What challenges might the company face in ensuring long-term compliance from all suppliers, and how could these be mitigated?

My view: give its global footprint and brand awareness - and with that, its significant reach, and taking into account prior feedback received in the public domain, Nestle should aim to position itself a vocal leader in combating modern slavery. Further partnerships with - and real listening to - local communities/NGOs in the developing jurisdictions they operate in, can help Nestle become even more effective in addressing modern slavery. Challenges in ensuring long-term compliance will include the ongoing costs associated with monitoring, training, awareness, and the volatility and complexity of the suppliers in some parts of the supply chains in this industry.

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Question 1
How can Nestlé further improve its ranking in the Chocolate Scorecard, particularly in areas like living income for cocoa farmers and child labour eradication?

In order to move up in ranking, when focussed on living income for cocoa farmers, Nestle should consider truly embedding and enforcing a published living income policy, and a supporting living income plan, across their supply chain. Specific to child labour eradication: again, a well embedded child labour policy, that takes into account gender, and that is well understood through regular training, coupled with transparent reporting on programs/schemes to monitor and remediate, would assist Nestle in further improving its ranking against the Chocolate Scorecard Methodology.

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Nestlé’s current strategies show strong commitment to addressing modern slavery, including supplier audits, training, and collaboration with NGOs. However, challenges remain in ensuring long-term compliance due to complex, multi-tiered supply chains, varying local enforcement, and hidden practices. To mitigate these, Nestlé should increase transparency through technology (e.g., blockchain), strengthen local partnerships, enforce stricter supplier consequences for violations, and support systemic change by addressing root causes like poverty and lack of worker protections.

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Nestlé can improve its Chocolate Scorecard ranking by fully committing to paying living incomes through fair pricing and premiums, investing in farmer empowerment and income diversification, and ensuring transparent payment systems. To eradicate child labour, Nestlé should strengthen supply chain monitoring with independent audits, expand community-based child labour remediation programs, support education initiatives, and increase transparency by publicly reporting progress.

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Qu. 1. Living Income/ Child Labour - Nestle Room for improvement  

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Qu. 1. Living Income/ Child Labour - Nestle Room for improvement  

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I see Nestlé’s progress in policy and practice as a strong foundation—but there’s clear opportunity to deepen impact in areas like that of 1) living income and 2) child labour eradication.

(Referencing) In the 2024 Chocolate Scorecard, Nestlé scored 57% overall, placing it in the “Progressing” category. While it’s commendable ('yellow RAG status (*Starting to develop and implement good policies) that Nestlé has improved supply chain transparency and acknowledged past forced labour issues, it still trails behind ethical leaders like Tony’s Chocolonely (91%) and Original Beans (86%), who set the benchmark for living income and child protection. From a public perception viewpoint, I imagine many consumers who enjoy many of Nestle's products may be surprised at this overall ranking and could reconsider purchasing and / or their brand loyalty pending their personal political and ethical positioning.

To improve its ranking, Nestlé could:

Embed living income benchmarks into supplier contracts, co-designed with cocoa farming communities to ensure economic resilience.

Strengthen child labour prevention through community-led monitoring, education access, and infrastructure investment—moving from reactive audits to a proactive stewardship.

Elevate traceability by integrating digital tools and farmer-level data, ensuring visibility across the entire supply chain. (Supply chain transparency)

These steps would not only enhance Nestlé’s scorecard performance but also reinforce its reputation as a responsible global leader in ethical sourcing.

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I think compared with other manufacturers, Nestle has a strong strategy in addressing modern slavery in its supply chain, however there is still room to improve to ensure this is eradicated. Nestle needs to stay on top of its auditing and assessment, as suppliers may become lax in this area. While Nestle has increased modern slavery training and awareness programs and the company has fostered a culture of vigilance and responsibility within supply chains, they require constant auditing and assessment to see this these programs are still effective.