Nestlé
Flagged · AvoidThe world's largest food and beverage company, with 2,000+ brands spanning infant formula, bottled water, coffee, chocolate, and pet food. The company has a long history of controversial water extraction, misleading marketing, and labor abuses in vulnerable communities.
Last updated June 16, 2026
↓ Skip to 6 ethical alternativesReasons to avoid
Issues span:EnvironmentLaborConsumer
- California's State Water Resources Control Board issued a cease-and-desist order in April 2021 finding that Nestlé had been unlawfully diverting spring water from the San Bernardino National Forest during the state's historic drought. The board's investigation determined the diversions had depleted Strawberry Creek and reduced the downstream drinking water supply for local communities.
- A 2020 US Department of Labor-funded study found that child labor on cocoa farms in Ivory Coast and Ghana had actually increased over the prior decade, despite a 2010 pledge by Nestlé and other major chocolate companies to cut the worst forms of child labor by 70% before 2020. The study documented more than 2 million children working in the cocoa sector across those two countries during the study period.
- A 2024 investigation by Swiss nonprofit Public Eye, covered by NBC News, tested 115 Nestlé baby food products sold in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and found that 94% contained added sugar. The same Cerelac cereal sold in Switzerland carries a "no added sugar" label, while the version sold in the Philippines contained up to 7.3 grams of added sugar per serving for babies as young as six months.
- Break Free From Plastic's 2023 Global Brand Audit, conducted by over 8,800 volunteers in 41 countries, ranked Nestlé as the #2 plastic polluter in the world for the sixth consecutive year. The audit found that the same group of major brands continued to top the list annually despite repeated corporate sustainability pledges.
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Chocolate & Snacks
Divine Chocolate
The only Fairtrade chocolate company co-owned by the cocoa farmers themselves. The Kuapa Kokoo cooperative of 100,000+ farmers in Ghana owns 44% of the company and receives a share of profits.
✅ B-Corp🤝 Fair Trade👩🌾 Farmer Owned
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Alter Eco
B Corp certified chocolate bars and truffles made with Fair Trade, USDA Organic, and Climate Neutral ingredients. Works with smallholder farming cooperatives and uses compostable packaging.
✅ B-Corp🤝 Fair Trade🌿 Organic♻️ Sustainable
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Local Chocolate Shops
Find an independent chocolatier or candy shop near you.
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Common Questions
- Is Nestlé ethical?
- A 2024 investigation found that 94% of Nestlé baby food products sold in Africa, Asia, and Latin America contained added sugar, while the same products sold in Switzerland carried a "no added sugar" label. Child labor on cocoa farms in Ivory Coast and Ghana actually increased over the decade following Nestlé's 2010 pledge to cut it by 70%, with over 2 million children documented working in the cocoa sector.
- Why are people boycotting Nestlé?
- Water extraction, child labor in cocoa supply chains, and plastic pollution are the most cited reasons. California's water board found Nestlé had been unlawfully diverting spring water from national forest during a historic drought. Nestlé ranked as the world's second-largest plastic polluter for the sixth consecutive year in 2023 despite repeated sustainability pledges.
- What are the best ethical alternatives to Nestlé?
- Equal Exchange is a worker-owned cooperative offering Fair Trade organic coffee, chocolate, and tea. Tony's Chocolonely makes slave-free chocolate with full supply chain transparency. Oatly is a B Corp certified sustainable oat milk alternative.