Sweet treats shouldn’t leave a bitter taste in your mouth, but global chocolate production has a serious dark side. Growing and harvesting cacao has been linked to slavery and child labor, and many workers earn far less than a living wage. In West Africa, where some 75 percent of the world’s cacao is grown, deforested national parks host chemical-soaked cacao monoculture.

Still, chocolate lovers shouldn’t despair, said Etelle Higonnet, an environmental activist and cofounder of the Chocolate Scorecard, whose independent experts grade producers on human rights and sustainability metrics. “The companies at the top of the scorecard provide a new vision of what cocoa can be,” Higonnet said. “They’re setting the bar really high.”

Top scores go to the small brands Alter Eco and Beyond Good, which earn kudos for leading the industry in transparency, labor laws, land use, and policies on chemicals. The Dutch company Tony’s Chocolonely and New Zealand–based Whittaker’s Chocolate also get good marks, but the high performers go beyond these niche markets—Italian behemoth Ferrero’s commitment to better practices lands it a spot in the top five. Purchasing more-ethical chocolate sends a powerful message to companies, according to Higonnet. “When you buy from the heart and buy cocoa that’s responsibly sourced, it’s like voting,” she said.

Lovers of sustainable treats shouldn’t neglect actual voting, which can impact how chocolate is made on a larger scale. With the support of the Sierra Club’s Atlantic Chapter, the New York State Senate is considering a bill that would bar state contractors from contributing to tropical and boreal deforestation. California governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a similar procurement bill last year, but the movement has bounced back; the California Deforestation-Free Procurement Act was reintroduced this spring.

Meanwhile, it’s candy season. On Halloween, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve, many Americans gift and eat chocolate, and the choices they make this year can help push companies toward positive change, Higonnet argued. “You’ve got so much power,” she said.

How do these ethical treats taste? To find out, Sierra convened a nonexpert panel for unscientific evaluations of the four highest-scoring chocolate companies whose bars are widely available in the US. Here’s what we found.

Top-ranked for ethics: Beyond Good

These single-origin chocolates made with organic beans are sourced from Madagascar and Uganda—and while most brands ship beans to Europe and North America for processing, Beyond Good opts for bean-to-bar production within Madagascar itself. When sampling the Pure Dark 80 percent cocoa from Madagascar, we noticed bright flavors of cherry, raspberries, and black currants.

The 80 percent cocoa bar’s high acidity and slightly bitter aftertaste weren’t for everyone, and, the panel speculated, might not prove popular with kids. Still, the company’s commitment to crafting bars using single-origin beans means this chocolate has a true sense of terroir; the bar’s fruity profile is indeed characteristic of Madagascar-grown cacao. And the company’s miniature bars (including the milder 70 percent cocoa and salted caramel) are perfect for handing out to trick-or-treaters.

The organic tasters’ choice: Alter Eco

A unanimous favorite with our tasting panel, Alter Eco comes in a close second for sustainability, according to the Chocolate Scorecard, with top marks in all six categories. When sampling the 85 percent cacao Classic Blackout bar made with Ecuadorian and Dominican beans, our panel loved its smooth, velvety texture. Tasters also noted rich flavors of raisins and dried fruits, and appreciated the bar’s lingering sweetness (even though it had less added sugar than any other chocolate we tried).

A bold, rich favorite: Tony’s Chocolonely

Weighing more than twice the competition, Tony’s Chocolonely's dark chocolate 70 percent bar has a satisfying heft, and it was our tasting panel’s second favorite for flavor. Testers noted its well-rounded, quintessentially “chocolate” quality, with hints of red fruits and mild acidity.

Some testers found the thick bar hard to bite into, however, while one found the taste overly floral. And while the company got top ratings in five categories, the Chocolate Scorecard noted room for improvement regarding deforestation and climate—an area where we hope it'll make strides in the coming years.

Sweet and nostalgic: Ferrero

By far the biggest brand in the top five, this multinational manufacturer gets high marks in categories of transparency, banishing child labor, deforestation and climate, and agroforestry. (They could do better with chemical use, and have a long way to go when it comes to implementing living wages.) Ferrero’s US brands include familiar names such as Butterfinger, Nutella, and Baby Ruth, but we tasted the closest thing we could find to a classic chocolate bar: the Ferrero Rocher milk hazelnut bar. Tasters found it sweet, creamy, and a little waxy, with an enjoyable crunch reminiscent of the classic gold-wrapped candies the brand is best known for.