Toblerone

How ethical and sustainable is Toblerone? 

Toblerone is a chocolate brand found in The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Chocolate Ratings Table. Toblerone does not meet our ethical benchmark at this time and hope that the brand will consider this and take the necessary steps toward operating ethically in the future. A method to increase confidence within the brand is for them to apply for The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Accreditation. During this process a further detailed assessment is made which generates recommendations for how Toblerone can become more ethical.

Find out more about Fairtrade chocolate with The Good Shopping Guide to Ethical Chocolate.

What does Toblerone do?

Toblerone is a Swiss chocolate bar that was created in 1908 by Theodor Tobler. In the 1970’s it became a part of Suchard, before the move in 1990 resulting in Toblerone joining Mondelēz. It is made with honey and almond nugget and is recognised for its distinctive peak shape. Compare Toblerone to other brands in our Ethical Chocolate Ratings Table.

For which criteria does Cadbury perform poorly? 

Toblerone received a low score in our research categories for Animal Welfare, Political donations and the use of GM ingredients. This is due to Mondelēz, Toblerone’s parent company, which has no distinct policy on Animal Welfare. Instead, the company states that this is not something that is considered within its supply chain. Mondelēz is able to provide little to no evidence that Animal Welfare is a business issue that it considers at all.

It also released a statement about Genetically-Modified ingredients and why they can be used to develop products. This suggests that the brand does use GMOs in the production process. Read more here.

As well as this, the brand has donated thousands in the past few years towards US political elections.

Past Criticisms of Toblerone’s ethical record

Though Toblerone as a brand came under fire for reducing the amount of chocolate within its products, the biggest ethical issues lie with its parent brand Mondelēz. In April 2022, Mondelēz was accused of using child labour after an investigation in Ghana revealed footage from a cocoa farm in its supply chain of children as low as 10 years old working there. The brand also faced allegations of the purchasing of palm oil from unethical and damaging sites that were uncovered. You can read more here. 

In what areas does Toblerone score well for its ethics?

Toblerone performed well regarding its environmental consideration due to reports released by its parent company that outline the environmental changes that are to be made in the coming years, setting out company goals to work towards a more ethical future. The brand has no armaments or nuclear critiques to consider. Toblerone is not vegan chocolate but is suitable for vegetarians.

How can Toblerone improve its ethical rating?

The Good Shopping Guide calculates a brand’s Ethical Score by looking at three main criteria, Environment, People and Animals. Find out more about How We Rate.

For Toblerone to qualify for Ethical Accreditation it must meet the minimum ethical benchmark required, a review of the supply chain and contributing factors would push the brand in a more ethical direction.

Why not look into Ethical Accreditation with The Good Shopping Guide if you work for or with a chocolate brand that places ethics at its core? These ecological and ethics certifications have benefited chocolate companies including Seed & Bean, Alter Eco, Wunder Workshop, and Raw Living. Contact us for additional information or complete our brief initial assessment form.