Children in cocoa production

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The use of children in cocoa production, especially in West Africa, has been a point of much controversy. The work of children in cocoa production has been viewed through the narratives of child labor and exploitation. In 2006, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) was the world's largest producer and exporter of cocoa, supplying 46% of the world cocoa production. West Africa, collectively supplies nearly 80% of the world's cocoa.^[1][2] Large chocolate producers such as Cadbury, Hershey's, and Nestle buy cocoa at commodities exchanges where Ivorian cocoa is mixed with other cocoa, as reported in a study by Oxfam.^[2]

Contents 1 ILO Projections 2 Studies and reports 2.1 1998 2.2 2001 2.3 2002 2.4 2005 2.5 2006 2.6 2007 2.7 2008 2.8 2009 3 Certification process 3.1 Harkin-Engel Protocol 4 Organizations, activists and legislation 5 See also 6 References 7 External links 7.1 Studies and reports 7.2 Media reports

ILO Projections

According to the International Labour Organisation, 30% of children under age 15 in sub-Saharan Africa engage in child labor, mostly in agricultural activities including cocoa farming.^[3] Of the 200,000 children working in the Ivory Coast cocoa industry, the ILO claims - a maximum of 6% (12,000 children) may be victims of human trafficking or slavery.^[4]

Studies and reports

1998

• A 1998 report from the Ivory Coast office of UNICEF concluded that some Ivory Coast farmers use enslaved children, many of them from Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin and Togo.^[5].

2001

• The report "A Taste of Slavery: How Your Chocolate May be Tainted"^[5][6][7] won a George Polk Award. It claimed that traffickers promise paid work, housing, and education to children who are forced to labour and undergo severe abuse, that some children are held forcibly on farms and work up to 100 hours per week, and that attempted escapees are beaten. It quoted a former slave: "The beatings were a part of my life" and "when you didn't hurry, you were beaten."^[5][6][7] See also ^[8][9][10]
• The BBC reported that some children from Sikasso, Mali, were believed sold as slaves.^[11] According to the article, 15,000 children from Mali, some under age 11, were producing cocoa in the Cote d'Ivoire, and Mali's Save the Children Fund director described "young children carrying 6 kg of cocoa sacks so heavy that they have wounds all over their shoulders."^[11]
• A British television documentary^[12] claimed that many Ivory Coast cocoa plantations use forced labor. A ship was found near West Africa allegedly carrying child slaves.^[12]
• The Chocolate Manufacturers Association (see above) acknowledged that slaves harvested some cocoa.^[10]

2002

• S. Chanthavong reported that children in neighboring countries are often found traveling or begging and lured to the Ivory Coast, where they are sold.^[13]

2005

• A report from the International Labor Organization noted that of the 200,000 children working on cocoa farms in the Ivory Coast, 12,000 are not working with or in the vicinity of their relatives, suggesting possible trafficking in a maximum of 6% of cases of child labor.^{[4] [4]}
• One book was published: Lowell J. Satre, Chocolate on Trial: Slavery, Politics & the Ethics of Business, Ohio University Press (2005), 308 pages, hardcover ISBN 0-8214-1625-1, trade paperback ISBN 0-8214-1626-X

2006

• A study^[1] showed many children working on small farms in the Ivory Coast, often on family farms. Over 11,000 people working on small Ivorian cocoa farms were surveyed.
• Another book was published: Carol Off, Bitter Chocolate:Investigating the Dark Side of the World's Most Seductive Sweet. Random House Canada (2006), 336 pages, hardcover. ISBN 978-0-679-31319-9 (0-679-31319-2)

2007

• UNICEF's Representative in Côte d’Ivoire, stated that:

  Likewise, children from neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso, Togo and Mali are brought to Côte d’Ivoire to work in its robust cocoa farming industry, among other outlets for child labour. Their rights are not respected and they are exposed to wide-ranging exploitation and abuse. [1]

• The International Labor Organization ^[14] and BBC [2] released reports.
• A report funded by the U.S. Department of Labor concluded that "Industry and the Governments of Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana have taken steps to investigate the problem and are implementing projects that address issues identified in the Protocol."^[15]
• http://www.stopthetraffik.org/downloads/chocolate_factsheet.pdf

2008

• Fortune magazine reported that "little progress has been made" in a report featuring responses from Cargill and Hershey's.

2009

• http://fairtrade.change.org/blog/view/cte_divoire_amp_conflict_cocoa
• http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/news_digest/Child_labour_threatens_chocolate_s_sweet_image.html?siteSect=104&sid=10445408&cKey=1236942104000&ty=st
• http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/peopleandpower/2009/01/200912091522945303.html
• http://www.mallenbaker.net/csr/page.php?Story_ID=2414

Certification process

Efforts are underway to establish an industry-wide voluntary certification process for cocoa produced without the use of child labor.^[15] However, these efforts are not yet complete, and there are currently only a few small independent firms claiming to produce chocolate without the use of child labor or human trafficking.

Harkin-Engel Protocol

The Harkin-Engel Protocol of 2001 (see Appendix 1 of^[15] ) was a commitment by the industry groups World Cocoa Foundation and Chocolate Manufacturers Association (now known as the Chocolate Council of the National Confectioners Association) to develop and implement voluntary standards to certify cocoa produced without the "worst forms of child labor," (defined according to the International Labor Organization's Convention 182) by the year 2005. This deadline was not met. In 2004, a Verification Working Group was funded by industry; however, funding was discontinued in 2006.^[15]

Organizations, activists and legislation

In September 2005, Dutch member of parliament Femke Halsema filed a motion to abolish European imports of slave-processed cacao.^[16] Statements have been issued by Anti-Slavery International ^[17], the Anti-Slavery Society ^[18], Fred E. Foldvary, the Organic Consumers Association ^[19] and StoptheTraffick UK. ^[20]

See also

• Big Chocolate
• Child labour
• Cocoa Protocol
• Guaranteed minimum income
• Human trafficking
• International Labor Rights Forum
• Nestlé
• Wage slavery

References

External links

Studies and reports

• First annual report of Tulane University Payson Center project on Oversight of Public and Private Initiatives to Eliminate the Worst Forms of Child Labor in the Cocoa Sector in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana
• Industry response to Tulane University report
• Nkamleu and Kielland 2006 study in the journal Agricultural Economics
• Oxfam (2002) The cocoa market: a background study.

Media reports

• Continued exploitation of children in cocoa industry. BBC News
• Ivory Coast accuses chocolate companies. BBC News