| Cocoa and Communities
Cocoa, the principle ingredient in chocolate is grown in millions of small family-run farms in remote locations around the world.
In parts of the world where opportunities are few, cocoa farming is a vital economic lifeline, providing an income to more than 4.5 million farmers worldwide. There are an estimated 1.5 million farms in West Africa alone and in the Cote d’lvoire, cocoa accounts for more than 50% of household income.
Children and Cocoa Farming
The role of children on cocoa farms is both an important tradition and a challenge. In West Africa, where nearly 70% of the world’s cocoa is grown, children help out on the family farm, much as they do in many other countries, for many other crops.
Labour practices on cocoa farms are a recognised issue, with too many children participating in hazardous farming tasks or working at the expense of attending school. In rare instances, children may work on cocoa farms having travelled away from their parents or immediate family.
"We believe that human trafficking is unacceptable in any form and that no child should be harmed in the process of growing or harvesting cocoa."
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Improving Labour Practices
In 2001 the global chocolate and cocoa industry signed a “protocol” agreement committing the industry to addressing the worst forms of child labour and forced adult labour.
The protocol has led to the development of a certification process in the cocoa farming sector and the establishment an independent foundation, the International Cocoa Initiative focused on cocoa farming labour practices.
Our Commitment
For the companies that use cocoa, the way forward is clear: help the cocoa farming family thrive. Our efforts are focussed on three strands of activity including economic development, promoting responsible labour practices and education.
- We reach out to farmers to help them understand the dangers of allowing children to perform certain tasks
- We then teach them safe, responsible labour practices. At the same time, we provide help for children – identified to be “at-risk” or potentially exploited
- We have been working for years to improve children’s access to education
- We work with cocoa communities as a whole – to teach sustainable and modern farming techniques to help them harvest more so they can earn more.
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Cocoa Farming
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