The seventh edition of the Chocolate Scorecard has been released, with the findings showing most cocoa farmers are earning below a living income, the forests are still falling and children are still working.

Released by Be Slavery Free, the scorecard is an independent assessment of 49 of the world’s largest chocolate companies and retailers, through which approximately nine in every 10 cocoa beans are assessed.

In 2026 three findings defined the scorecard:

• Living income: less that one-third of cocoa farmers in major chocolate supply chains are confirmed to earn a living income.
• Deforestation: cocoa is still the leading driver of forest loss in West Africa.
• Child labour: 94 per cent of large companies now report cases in their supply chains.

Be Slavery Free director Fuzz Kitto said for years the chocolate estimated, but now it measures.

“The lights have come on, and the picture is stark. We know how many farmers earn below a living income. We know which companies are ready for the European deforestation rules and which are not,” she said.

“We can name the children working in cocoa supply chains. The question is no longer what we know. It is what we choose to do.”

As part of the Chocolate Scorecard chocolate companies Halba, Coop, and Original Beans were all awarded Good Egg Awards, while Tony’s Chocolonely was given the Gender Award. The inaugural Farmer Health Award was given to The Hershey Company.

Woolworths, Ahold Delhaize, ALDI Nord, ALDI South, Carrefour, Coop, Migros, and Systeme U were all recognised with the Retail Stayers Awards. However, Mondelez International – the owner of Cadbury, Milka, Toblerone, Cote d’Or and Green & Blacks – and Starbucks were both given the Bad Egg award after declining to participate.

Be Slavery Free director Carolyn Kitto said the Good Eggs show this issue is solvable.

“They have done the work, opened the books, and stood the scrutiny,” she said.

“The Bad Eggs have made a different choice – to stay silent, to leave the row blank, to hope no one notices. Silence is a position. The Scorecard records it.”