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Responsible Labor Practices in Cocoa Growing

Working with labor experts, non-governmental organizations, and elected officials, in 2001  the chocolate and cocoa industry developed an agreement, known today as the “Protocol,” to ensure that cocoa is grown responsibly, without the worst forms of child labor or forced adult labor as defined by the International Labor Organization’s Conventions 182 and 29.

The Protocol outlined a number of steps to address the issue – including the development of a “certification” system for cocoa farming. Certification for cocoa farming is an ongoing program that will drive positive change in cocoa communities with a focus on repsonsible labor practices.

Industry supported programs in the West African cocoa farming sector focus on three key areas:

1.     Community and family awareness to tackle labor issues from within cocoa communities and help at-risk children  through the International Cocoa Initiative founded in 2002 and led by a board of industry and civil society representatives (www.cocoainitiative.org)

2.      Working to make life better on cocoa farms by raising farmer incomes, improving education and health and unsafe working conditions through initiatives including Farmer Field schools and other educational and health related-programs programs funded by the World Cocoa Foundation (www.worldcocoa.org) 

3.      The development of a certification system for smallholder agricultural production in West Africa is being undertaken by our industry together with the governments of the cocoa producing countries.