Tony’s Chocolonely mark being named among Time100’s most influential firms

Dutch-founded impact brand Tony’s Chocolonely is celebrating being named among Time100’s most influential companies of 2025, amid its continuing ‘slave free’ mission centred on seeking to transform global cocoa supply chains, reports Neill Barston.

As the business, which appeared among our speakers at our 2024 World Confectionery Conference, asserted, the results show that industry as a whole should, be a force for good in tackling key issues such as child labour and improving the lives of key cocoa growing communities.

In response to the present crisis within the sector, which has seen prices rise to $12,000 a year on commodities markets earlier this year, crop disease and an ageing farming workforce that has suffered from successive under-investment from the sector, and industry at large over the past three decades.

According to the company, it had never set out to be influential. They set out to end exploitation in the cocoa industry. From day one, their mission has been to use chocolate as a vehicle for change, raising awareness, leading by example, and inspiring others to join us in creating a fairer, more equitable cocoa industry.

As the company noted, if its actions inspire others to join the movement and drive change, we’re here for it. Because the more voices that join in, the closer we get to ending exploitation for good.

Among the Time listings were Swedish confectionery group Orkla for its sustainability focus, Engie for its efforts in phasing out fossil fuels, games maker Nintendo and Scale AI, for its data management 

Notably, as reported by Confectionery Production has previously covered, Tony’s has not held back from acknowledging that child labour remains in some of its supply chains in Ivory Coast, but it believed that the tide is being turned on the issue and instances of labour are reducing through the company’s proactive policy of paying above market rates for cocoa, and working with co-operative farming groups. 

Douglas Lamont, CEO of Tony’s Chocolonely commented: “Being named as one of the TIME100 most influential companies, is a proud moment for our business. This recognition gives us more fuel to keep scaling our impact, as we strive to prove that ending exploitation in cocoa, growing our company successfully and making damn tasty chocolate can all go hand in hand” 

To assemble the list, TIME solicited nominations across sectors and polled its global network of contributors and correspondents, as well as outside experts. TIME editors then evaluated each company on key factors, including impact, innovation, ambition, and success. The result is a diverse group of 105 businesses helping chart an essential path forward.