At Easter, chocolate bunnies beckon from all corners. The great Swiss chocolate manufacturers present their creations in many facets. But behind the cute bunnies is a complicated system of child labor that is difficult to break.
The Swiss coalition International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) has taken a new approach to combat this system. In a study co-funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco), cocoa farmers in Ghana received monthly cash payments worth CHF 30. The idea behind it: if there is more money in the family coffers, the farmers do not have to send their children to to the plantations. This was confirmed by the study: after six months, child labor in the assisted region fell by almost a fifth.
Lots of big companies
The ICI consists of companies, governments, farmers’ associations and non-governmental organisations. Certification companies such as Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance have also joined. The coalition has been fighting against child labor in the cocoa sector since 2002.
A number of global chocolate companies are backing the initiative, including Swiss heavyweights Nestlé, Barry Callebaut and Toblerone manufacturer Mondelez. Starbucks, Ferrero, Hershey’s and Tony’s Chocolonely are also on the list.
The golden rabbit manufacturer Lindt & Sprüngli, on the other hand, prefers to check its supply chains itself, a company spokeswoman said when asked by the AWP news agency. The chocolate manufacturer makes cash payments to cocoa farmers as part of its own sustainability program.
“The child must be able to go to school”
According to ICI specialist Sarah Dekkiche, cash payments are not sufficient anyway. A higher income does not automatically lead to less child labour, she recently said at an event at the University of Zurich. “The child must be able to go to school, otherwise it will just go with its parents to the fields and pick up a machete.”
There are also farmers who, after receiving extra money, increased their cocoa production and thus encouraged child labour. “You have to raise awareness and support a lot here.”
Particularly in times of climate change, diversification in cultivation is necessary so that small farmers can earn an income outside the cocoa season. The ICI therefore encourages cocoa farmers to also grow rice or cassava, keep bees or sell handicrafts.
Half of child labor takes place on cocoa plantations
Ghana, together with Ivory Coast, is considered the largest location for child labor in cocoa production. Together, the two West African countries cover about two-thirds of global demand. Switzerland, the country of chocolate, gets more than half of its cocoa from Ghana alone.
According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), approximately 1.6 million children are currently involved in child labor in these two countries. These carry out activities that violate legal norms such as the minimum age and that endanger their psychological and physical development. Every second affected minor lives with cocoa farmers. They wield machetes and chemicals, have to climb trees and carry heavy loads.
NGOs are demanding better pay from producers
To improve the situation in the long term, the ICI calls for internationally binding framework conditions and local investments. Even with certifications and high prices, child labor cannot be ruled out.
Silvie Lang, a raw materials expert at the Swiss non-governmental organization Public Eye, nevertheless rates the ICI as “rather slow”. “In multi-stakeholder initiatives, the focus is often on dialogue and less concrete action plans or structural changes.”
However, the cash transfer study shows that poverty is directly correlated with child labour. To combat child labor in the cocoa sector, better producer prices and a living income are needed.
“Companies have been insisting for far too long on measures that growers have to implement themselves,” says Lang. In principle, there is no escaping higher cocoa prices.
Dekkiche also points out that fair chocolate has its price. If chocolate companies have to make extra cash payments to farmers, there are costs involved. “We as consumers also have a responsibility to get involved.” And who knows, the chocolate bunny tastes even better at Easter. (oee/sda/awp)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
