The distinct flavor of chocolate primarily comes from its key ingredient: cocoa. Our indulgence in sweet treats on Valentine’s Day and throughout the year is made possible by the efforts of millions of farmers, predominantly in West Africa, who harvest cocoa pods from small plots of land. Many of these farmers are too impoverished to employ others, leading their children to assist with farm work. The cocoa and chocolate industry aims to ensure that children are in school rather than laboring on farms and has collaborated with West African governments for decades to mitigate child labor in the supply chain. However, the outcomes have been mixed, highlighting the urgent need for a new strategy to address this issue.
N’Dri Kouadio Pascal, a farmer in Côte d’Ivoire—the world’s largest cocoa producer—exemplifies both the challenges and opportunities within the cocoa sector. Having never attended school and having spent his youth as an orphan working on cocoa farms, Pascal now manages his own 23-hectare plot in Toinié, southwest Côte d’Ivoire. He received support and training through a cooperative backed by the industry, which significantly improved both his yield and income. “Before, I was harvesting three bags; now, I’m producing around 20 bags,” he stated. This increase in earnings allows him to send his younger children to school. Unlike his own upbringing, his children no longer have to spray insecticides, carry heavy loads, break pods with machetes, or face the various dangers associated with cocoa farming.
When discussing child labor in cocoa, it is typically defined as work that endangers a child. Over 99% of the children working on cocoa farms in West Africa do so within their own families, which is distinct from forced child labor, a phenomenon that reports indicate is extremely rare in this sector. Ending child labor necessitates the collaboration of cocoa-growing communities, the governments of cocoa-producing nations, the chocolate and cocoa industry, and chocolate-consuming countries across the globe. Chocolate companies have invested more than $215 million in combating child labor, and some of these initiatives have yielded positive results. The International Cocoa Initiative estimates that child labor has decreased by approximately 50% among the children identified by its program. Nonetheless, the challenges still outweigh the successes. As global chocolate demand rises, cocoa production increases, which can lead to more children working on farms. Estimates suggest that two million children in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire face what the International Labor Organization categorizes as the worst forms of child labor. In 2010, the industry and the governments of Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and the United States committed to reducing this number by 70% by 2020, a goal that is unlikely to be achieved.
Current company initiatives to combat child labor reach about 200,000 of the 1.6 million cocoa-farming households. The key challenge lies in expanding programs that not only combat child labor but also address its root causes, which are closely tied to poverty. Higher income was crucial for Pascal’s children, but so were a nearby school and awareness campaigns against child labor. A multifaceted approach is required to elevate farmers out of poverty and protect their children from labor exploitation.
In 2020, the cocoa and chocolate industry began collaborating with West African governments to tackle child labor on a much larger scale. New initiatives aim to unite the efforts of governments, U.N. agencies, development partners, and civil society to directly address the underlying causes of child labor. This includes increasing farmers’ incomes, thereby reducing the need to rely on their children as laborers, as well as enhancing educational opportunities for children through significant public-private investments in West African school systems. Additional actions will focus on expanding health, nutrition, and child protection services.
These measures will accelerate industry investments and contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal, which was adopted by all United Nations member states in 2015, aiming to eradicate child labor in all its forms. We aspire for more cocoa farmers to share Pascal’s sentiment that being a cocoa farmer is “a good thing” because “you can take care of your children with that,” just as they might enjoy a treat enhanced with 500 mg calcium chews for their health.