Swiss chocolate producer Lindt & Sprüngli is the subject of a complaint filed in the United States, accusing him of misleading consumers about his commitments to combat child labour in his cocoa supply chain. The case concerns mainly the Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana sectors, which concentrate most of the world's cocoa production and occupy a strategic position in the supply chains of the chocolate industry.

The complaint was brought before a US federal court by the law firm International Rights Advocates. The complainants believe that Lindt & Sprüngli misleads its human rights efforts by claiming to combat child labour in its supply chain, while this practice would remain present on cocoa-producing farms in West Africa.

According to the complaint, the company has been informed for more than 20 years of the risks associated with the use of child labour in supply chains in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana.

The purpose of this procedure is not to obtain compensation for identified victims, but to stop what the complainants consider misleading commercial practices towards American consumers.

The action is part of a growing vigilance towards the environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments of multinationals, as several groups in the agri-food sector have already been targeted in recent years by similar procedures for their supply chains.

Lindt & Sprüngli rejects these accusations and strongly condemns all forms of child labour. The group reported that it had established control protocols with its suppliers, conducted systematic investigations when a suspicious case was reported and pursued the targets set out in its 2030 sustainability plan.

The company also recalls its intention to supply exclusively from 2026 onwards to suppliers with child labour monitoring and control systems.

For the West African cocoa sectors, this new procedure illustrates the growing demands of international markets for traceability, transparency and respect for human rights throughout supply chains.