Industry Statement: Cocoa

There are a number of responses from individual companies and the global industry’s response under the umbrella of the Global Issues Group (GIG) representing ADM Cocoa, Barry Callebaut, Cadbury, CAOBISCO, Cargill, the Australasian confectionery sector, ECA, Ferrero, ICA, Kraft Foods, Mars Incorporated, NCA, Nestlé, The Hershey Company and World Cocoa Foundation. The GIG response is also attached here and contains some very important messages for our industry. In particular: 

• As an industry locally and globally we condemn the Worst Forms of Child Labour (ie, working in hazardous conditions, without schooling or in forced labour) in the cocoa supply chain and believe that no child should ever be harmed in the process of growing or harvesting cocoa. 
• Unacceptable labour practices on cocoa farms in the Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana are a recognised issue, with too many children participating in hazardous farming tasks or working at the expense of attending school. 
• It is a complex issue, without simple answers. In West Africa there are over 1.5 million cocoa farming families living in some of the most remote areas depending on cocoa for their livelihoods. Between the farms and our manufacturing cocoa beans are generally traded up to 10 times including grinding before they reach Australia or New Zealand. 
• Over the past ten years industry along with the Governments of Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana, non‐government organisations and a host of other international organisations including the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO), have worked together to bring about positive and sustainable change to the way cocoa is grown and harvested in West Africa. 
• A public Certification process (a primary element of The Protocol) is underway across the cocoa farming sector in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana reporting on the incidence of the Worst Forms of Child Labour and on progress in reducing incidence. Public Certification includes several key elements: Data collection to generate detailed, accurate information on cocoa farming labour practices on a sector wide basis; Public reporting by the Governments of Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana; Remediation activities to address the issues identified in the data collection process; and Independent verification to ensure integrity of the public Certification process.
  NB: public Certification is different to private labelling schemes which, while including labour standards, also operate across broader sustainability issues. 
• Collectively the global chocolate and cocoa industry has spent more than USD $75M over the past decade in support of cocoa farming families and communities and is currently supporting 40 social and economic programs in West Africa. The Australian and New Zealand confectionery industry has been active within the World Cocoa Foundation and Global Issues Group (GIG), supporting the principle that no child should ever be harmed in the process of growing or harvesting cocoa.

For enquiries:
Australian Industry Group - Confectionery Sector
Telephone: 03 9867 0181