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Update:
- A group of Nestlé USA customers asked a federal judge in California to reject the company’s motion to dismiss their third amended class action lawsuit accusing Nestlé of falsely marketing that its chocolate products are sustainably sourced.
- Nestlé customers claim the company relies on child and slave labor to source the cocoa for its chocolate products despite the companies’ sustainability representations.
- Nestlé argued it has given hundreds of millions of dollars in an effort to improve the lives of cocoa farmers and children through its so-called “Cocoa Plan.”
- Nestlé customers claim the Cocoa Plan does not actually improve farmers’ lives, however, arguing the company makes no effort to pay them a living wage.
Nestlé slave labor class action lawsuit overview:
- Who: Renee Walker filed a class action lawsuit against Nestlé USA Inc.
- Why: Walker claims Nestlé deceptively labels its cocoa as “sustainably sourced” despite two-thirds of it allegedly being produced with child labor and child slave labor in West Africa.
- Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court.
(July 05, 2022)
Nestlé uses child labor and child slave labor in West Africa to acquire two-thirds of the cocoa used in its chocolate products, a new class action lawsuit alleges.
Plaintiff Renee Walker claims Nestlé has been “acutely aware of the magnitude of unethical labor in its supply chain for more than a decade.”
Walker argues that, while being aware its cocoa is “primarily procured from farms using the worst forms of child labor,” Nestlé still labels its cocoa as “sustainably sourced” and “certified.”
“Nestlé’s deceptive labeling misleads consumers into believing their products are procured in accordance with environmentally and socially responsible standards when it knows they are not,” the Nestlé class action states.
Walker wants to represent a nationwide class of U.S. residents who have purchased a Nestle product marked with “ Nestlé Cocoa Plan,” “UTZ” seals, “sustainably sourced” or “improv(ing) the lives of farmers” within the United States since April 18, 2015.
Nestlé class action alleges company deceives consumers by labeling chocolate as ‘sustainable’
Walker argues that Nestlé “deceptively labels its chocolate as a sustainable, fair trade product” despite being aware that its cocoa supply chain is “inundated with child labor and child slave labor and that conditions have gotten worse not better under its Cocoa Plan.”
The Nestlé Cocoa Plan is part of a promotion the company runs in an attempt to sell consumers that its products are environmentally and socially beneficial, according to the Nestlé class action.
Walker claims Nestlé is in violation of California’s Consumers Legal Remedies Act and Unfair Competition Law.
He demands a jury trial and requests declaratory and injunctive relief along with actual, statutory and punitive damages for herself and all class members.
Former Nestlé workers filed a similar class action lawsuit against the company, along with Cargill, Hershey and other major chocolate makers, in February 2021 by former workers claiming they were trafficked into child labor to produce cocoa.
Have you purchased a Nestle chocolate product? Let us know in the comments!
The plaintiff is represented by Helen I. Zeldes, Ben Travis, Paul L. Hoffman, John C. Washington and Catherine Sweetser of Schonbrun Seplow Harris Hoffman & Zeldes, LLP; Michael R. Reese, Carlos F. Ramirez and George V. Grenade of Reese LLP; and Terrence P. Collingsworth of International Rights Advocates.
The Nestlé slave labor class action lawsuit is Walker, et al. v. Nestle USA Inc., et al., Case No. 3:19-cv-00723, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.
If you’ve purchased Nestlé chocolate products with labels that falsely advertise the product’s sustainability, let us know in the comments below!
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77 thoughts onNestle fights child, slave labor lawsuit
From what I understand these Ivory coast farmers of the cocoa had supplied to suppliers in U.S.A and the action suit are from children that were slaves and now adults. The government there in ivory coast did not want to bring up these claims there, so it was brought to United States. It was also reported that when several journalists went to ivory coast to interview the negligence and corruption of that the government participate in child slavery, the Ivorian First Lady’s entourage allegedly kidnapped and killed a journalist. Along with this thought the foreign government have been trying to get more money from Nestle to the cocoa farmers. They blame it was the chocolate companies in the USA because they had control which does not specify what type of control, is it in hiring child slaves? This is the first case ever brought to the United States. Something is wrong here but correct me if I am wrong. I will continue to support Nestle and eat all the chocolate I want.
Yes I have Nestle in my cabinet now and for years and it is supposed to be sustainable product! But not by child labor; that is horrific!