Fewer than 6% of Dutch supermarket chocolate products are fairly priced

Chocolate prices on supermarket shelves continue to rise, but cocoa farmers, who supply the raw material, often earn far below a livable wage. A new report from Oxfam Novib reveals that fewer than 6 percent of chocolate products sold in Dutch supermarkets are made with cocoa purchased at a fair price, leaving farmers with little to show for their hard work.

Albert Heijn, the largest supermarket chain in the Netherlands, took a significant step in October 2024 by committing to pay a fair price for all cocoa used in its private-label chocolate products. However, without similar commitments from competitors like Jumbo and Lidl, Oxfam warns that little will change for the farmers. The organization is now calling on these retailers to ensure cocoa farmers earn a livable wage.

Anouk Franck, supermarket expert at Oxfam Novib, expressed frustration: “It’s scandalous that so little of the chocolate on supermarket shelves is fairly priced. Over 94 percent of all chocolate products come from cocoa for which no fair price has been paid. We’ve proven time and again that it is possible, but most supermarkets are still failing to act.”

Oxfam Novib’s research, which covered chocolate products from the five largest Dutch supermarket chains—Albert Heijn, Aldi, Jumbo, Lidl, and PLUS—found that only 5.6 percent of all chocolate in these stores comes from fairly sourced cocoa. The report defines fair cocoa as beans bought at a price that guarantees farmers a livable income over a set period.

Despite increasing consumer demand for ethical products, supermarket giants continue to make huge profits, while cocoa farmers often struggle to survive. Supermarkets typically make a 10 percent profit on each milk chocolate bar, while the cocoa farmers who supply the beans often earn nothing. More than 450,000 cocoa farmers and their families live below the poverty line, with nearly 90 percent of cocoa farmers exporting to the Netherlands facing this issue.

Oxfam Novib is urging supermarkets to take responsibility and commit to paying a fair price for cocoa. “The responsibility should not fall on consumers to choose fair chocolate,” Franck said. “Supermarkets must ensure that cocoa farmers receive a fair income and stop exploiting them.”

In the Netherlands, about 80 percent of chocolate is purchased in supermarkets. Yet, retailers like Jumbo (the second-largest chain) and Lidl (third-largest) have made minimal progress. At Jumbo, only 5.6 percent of chocolate is fairly sourced, while Lidl offers just 3.2 percent. Neither has made any commitment to improve.

Albert Heijn’s decision to source fair cocoa for all its private-label products is a step forward. By 2027, it is expected that 29 percent of its chocolate offerings will be fairly priced. However, products from other brands sold at Albert Heijn, including Nestlé’s KitKat and Lindt chocolate bars, will still be made with cocoa purchased at unfair prices.

Issifu Issaka, a cocoa farmer from Ghana and president of the Ghana Cooperative Cocoa Farmers Association, shared his frustration: “The low percentage of fair chocolate in supermarkets isn’t just a statistic—it represents real suffering. As a cocoa farmer in Ghana, I earn far too little. I can barely make ends meet. I watch as gold mining gangs drive farmers off their land, or as farmers switch to other crops that yield more. It’s unfair that we have been receiving such low prices for years.”

Oxfam Novib is calling for immediate action from all supermarkets. Franck said, “Supermarkets like Jumbo and Lidl talk about sustainability, but their actions don’t match. Our research shows that their chocolate bars and cookies are far from sustainable.”

Issaka concluded, “Supermarkets and major chocolate brands are making massive profits from unfair chocolate, while cocoa farmers struggle to survive. That’s why I’m in Europe—again—to call attention to these injustices.”