The
Fairness Gap: Farmer Incomes & Solutions to Child Labor in Cocoa
International Labor Rights Forum
When reports began to emerge in the mid-1990s about poor labor
conditions in the cocoa industry, including labor trafficking and the worst
forms of child labor, no major chocolate maker was willing to accept
responsibility.
After years of negotiations, campaigns, and public outcry, the
chocolate industry has begun to recognize the need for changes in supply chain
accountability.
Despite myriad projects aimed at improving education, increasing
productivity, and implementing cocoa certification, the collective impact has
been limited and the industry has been unable to solve the root cause of the
problem: the very low prices paid to farmers.
This report is the product of nearly two years of research and
dialogue with diverse actors in the industry. We surveyed farmers,
chocolate companies, and certification programs. We spoke with government
representatives, cooperative managers, farmer associations and unions.
Some farmers, unable to make a living from cocoa, are beginning to
‘vote with their feet’ by moving into other industries such as palm and rubber.
This trend may help unite different interests because now there is both a moral
imperative and a market incentive to increase the price farmers can secure for
their cocoa.
Although approaches still vary, and some are better informed than
others, we have found a sincere interest among nearly all stakeholders in
ending child labor in the cocoa industry.
This report is intended to help advance a new phase of advocacy
and dialogue. We aim to identify strategies and points of collaboration
in the industry and to lift up the perspectives of farmers.
Industry and
civil society, national and international actors alike all have a role to
play.
Continuing and sustaining progress will require frank discussions
about how to end persistent poverty among cocoa farmers in West Africa.
We need to agree upon best practice interventions and strategies for
incentivizing transparency, accountability and greater pre-competitive industry
collaboration.
We need to ensure farmers have access – to information, to
market, and to support – so that they can lead the improvements they want to
see.
- Publication Date: December 17, 2014
- Source: International Labor Rights Forum
- Author: Adeline Lambert
- Download full report
- Download executive summary
- Link(s):
- See more about the report release
- Join ILRF's Fair Share for Cocoa Farmers campaign!
