COCOA WORKING PRACTICES
Nestlé does not own cocoa farms or plantations in West Africa, nor do we employ workers on farms. Nevertheless, Nestlé is committed to ensuring that cocoa is grown without the worst forms of child or forced labour. As a measure of our commitment, we have partnered with the global chocolate and cocoa industry and non-governmental organisations, organised labour and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in an International Protocol that lays out a series of action steps designed to ensure that cocoa is grown in a responsible manner (www.responsiblecocoa.org).
We have also worked closely with the ILO, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), West African governments, organised labour, non-governmental organisations and experts to develop and launch 'Pilot Programmes' across West Africa to ensure that cocoa is grown responsibly.
In 2002, we helped to establish a joint foundation called the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI). The aim of the foundation is to work towards responsible labour standards for cocoa growing and act as a clearinghouse for best practices. The ILO serves as an advisor to the ICI Board, which is comprised of equal numbers of industry and non-industry representatives. Nestlé is an active participant on the ICI’s Board. Furthermore, Nestlé is a member of the World Cocoa Foundation which works to improve cocoa growing practices in West Africa and other cocoa growing regions.
The final milestone in the Protocol is the design and implementation of standards of public certification. Nestlé is helping with the design of this system along with other partners from industry, the ILO, West African governments and other labour experts.
As called for under the Protocol, the chocolate and cocoa industry, working with NGOs, labour unions and government partners, have supported the development and testing of a system of certification for cocoa farming - this will provide a clear, credible view of labour conditions on the ground and drive progress. Nestlé, together with other chocolate and cocoa industry members, would like to be further along than we are in this effort, however, the building blocks are in place for a certification system which can be extended across the West African cocoa sector, and for the programmes to improve the well-being of cocoa farm families.
Our efforts are now focused on rolling out certification into the West African cocoa sector - with a goal of reaching 50 per cent of cocoa farms in Ivory Coast and Ghana by 2008.
For further information, please also visit www.bccca.org.uk and www.candyusa.org.
The following further articles relating to the industry work on cocoa working practices are available:
From Bean to Bar - The Production Process (Jan 2005)
BCCCA Position Paper on Survey (July 2002)
Global Industry Response to Labour Practices Survey (July 2002)
International Cocoa Initiative (July 2002)
International Alliance Joins Forces to Address Child Labour Abuse in the West African Cocoa Sector (December 2001)
