Entry: Bill Guyton
I wanted to share with you information on the World Day Against Child Labor and some of the recent actions taken by the chocolate industry and partners to address child labor in the cocoa sector. The chocolate industry is working with host governments, labor experts and NGOs to help better understand the root causes of child labor, how to monitor improvements, and implement actions that drive change in cocoa growing communities. Descriptions of recent certification reports from Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire are described in the links.
In addition to these reports, the chocolate industry is working with partners to support an independent verification board. In a recent newsletter, the International Cocoa Verification Board (ICVB), described their organization, recent work, and the path forward. World Cocoa Foundation, our membership and partners, see this as important initiative to help improve social conditions for cocoa farming families in West Africa.