Who Owns Girl Scout Cookies?

Girl Scout Cookies' sustainability and ethics focus on the educational mission of the program and ingredient sourcing.

• Youth Entrepreneurship Education: The cookie program teaches girls financial literacy, goal setting, marketing, sales, and business management through hands-on experience. Participants learn to set sales goals, manage money, and interact with customers.
• Community Investment: Approximately 65-75% of cookie sale revenue remains within local communities, funding council programming, summer camps, and community service projects.
• Palm Oil Sourcing: Girl Scout Cookies contain palm oil, which has been a source of environmental controversy. Girl Scouts USA implemented a palm oil policy requiring suppliers to use sustainably sourced palm oil certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). The organization has faced pressure from environmental groups to go further.
• Allergen Labeling: Both bakeries provide detailed allergen information on packaging and websites. Cookies contain or may contain peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, wheat, and soy.
• Packaging: Girl Scouts USA has worked with bakeries to reduce packaging waste, though the program has not published specific packaging reduction targets.
• Cookie Donation Program: Many troops participate in cookie donation programs, where customers can purchase cookies to be donated to military personnel, food banks, and community organizations.

Girl Scouts USA publishes information about cookie sustainability on its website, but does not publish a standalone sustainability report for the cookie program.

Girl Scout Cookies has not received formal industry awards. The program's recognition comes from its cultural significance and educational impact.

• Largest Girl-Led Entrepreneurial Program: The Girl Scout Cookie Program is recognized as the largest girl-led entrepreneurial program in the world, with over 1 million participants annually.
• Cultural Icon: Girl Scout Cookies are an iconic American tradition, recognized across generations. The program has been referenced in popular culture, including films, television shows, and literature.
• Over 100 Years of Operation: The cookie program has operated continuously since 1917, making it one of the longest-running fundraising programs in American history.
• Thin Mints as Best-Selling Variety: Thin Mints are consistently the best-selling Girl Scout Cookie variety, accounting for approximately 25% of all sales. Thin Mints have become a cultural touchstone in the United States.
• Digital Cookie Innovation: The Digital Cookie platform, launched in 2014, was recognized as a significant innovation in youth entrepreneurship education, bringing the traditional door-to-door sales model into the digital age.

Girl Scout Cookies have faced several controversies, primarily related to ingredients and sourcing.

• Palm Oil Controversy: Girl Scout Cookies contain palm oil, and environmental groups have criticized the program for using an ingredient linked to deforestation and habitat destruction in Southeast Asia. Girl Scouts USA implemented a palm oil policy requiring RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil and has published information about its sourcing practices. Some activists have called for the program to eliminate palm oil entirely.
• Sugar Content: Girl Scout Cookies, like most commercial cookies, contain significant sugar content. Health advocates have questioned whether a youth organization should sell a product with limited nutritional value. Girl Scouts USA has noted that cookies are a treat and that portion information is provided on packaging.
• Trans Fat Reduction: In 2005, both bakeries reformulated recipes to reduce trans fat content in response to FDA regulations and consumer health concerns. All Girl Scout Cookies now contain zero grams of trans fat per serving.
• Allergen Concerns: Cookies contain or may contain peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, wheat, and soy. Both bakeries provide allergen information on packaging and websites. Some consumers have called for more allergen-free options.
• Keebler Look-Alike Cookies: Keebler (owned by Flowers Foods, which also owns Little Brownie Bakers) sells commercial cookies that resemble Girl Scout varieties, such as Coconut Dreams (similar to Samoas) and Fudge Stripe cookies (similar to Trefoils). This has caused some consumer confusion, though Keebler's products are not affiliated with Girl Scouts.
• Regional Variation Confusion: The dual-bakery system means the same cookie type has different names in different regions (e.g., Samoas vs. Caramel deLites). This has caused confusion among consumers who move between regions or purchase cookies online.
• Pricing Increases: Cookie prices have increased over the years, with some regions now charging $7 per package. Some consumers have questioned the pricing, though councils set prices based on local market conditions and program costs.