We are concerned about the safety and well-being of children who may be involved in dangerous, excessive, abusive or forced work on cocoa farms. We are committed to working towards a supply chain where no children are subject to these conditions and to improving the livelihoods of cocoa farmers and their families.

We do not accept the use of illegal, abusive or enforced labor in any of our operations and we abide by the laws in the countries in which we operate. Each year we require our direct suppliers of cocoa beans in Côte d'Ivoire to sign their adherence to the same standards.  If suppliers are found to be employing such practices their contracts are subject to termination.

High quality cocoa, grown in a sustainable way, is essential to the livelihoods of farming communities in cocoa growing countries. That’s why we are investing in activities, which are helping farmers improve agricultural working practices, increase their incomes, provide support to cocoa communities and help address the worst forms of child labor.

Rural education. Watch a video of how we are helping improve education in cocoa communities.  Supporting communities in partnership with CARE. In partnership with CARE we are supporting local communities in Côte d'Ivoire and helping boost educational opportunities and farmer incomes in Ghana

Improving the livelihoods of cocoa farmers and their families

The root cause of child labour is poverty. Since we began our operations in Côte d’Ivoire in 1998 we have initiated and supported many activities. In September 2010, we announced a three-year $5 million commitment to support further development of sustainable cocoa in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. An important part of our investment is providing essential training and support to farmers to improve agricultural practices in order for them to increase their yields and quality.

Our farmer training, and our ongoing interaction with cocoa growing communities, is helping raise awareness to discourage child labor, as well as promote better and safer working practices. In our Farmer Field Schools program, part of the curriculum is specifically dedicated to child labor; educating farmers on what tasks may harm children and affect their development, and pointing out the dangers for children on farms. We encourage farmers to alert us to any practices where they believe children may be at risk.

Working with industry and governments

We recognize that more sustainable cocoa production cannot be achieved by working on our own. For 10 years, as part of the global chocolate and cocoa industry we have been working with the governments of Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other international organizations including the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to bring about positive and sustainable change to the way cocoa is grown and harvested in West Africa. Cargill is an active member of the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) and a participant and donor in programs such as Cocoa livelihoods Program (CLP), the African Cocoa Initiative (ACI) and West-Africa Cocoa Farmers’ Finance Program (WACFFP).

The chocolate and cocoa sector is committed to a program of investment and improvement of social conditions in cocoa producing countries. Collectively it has invested more than $75 million and is supporting some 40 programs throughout West Africa. These provide cocoa farming families and their communities with opportunities to increase their incomes; teach farmers about responsible labor practices; and improve access to quality education for children.

Supporting certification of sustainable cocoa

Our Farmer Field Schools training also enables farmer cooperatives to achieve independent certification for sustainable cocoa.  The UTZ Certified cocoa program – established by Cargill, along with Dutch development organization Solidaridad and others in the cocoa sector – has introduced independent certification to improve agricultural, environmental and social practices in cocoa production.

Importantly it is helping farmers improve quality, yields and raise their incomes. The UTZ code of conduct includes explicit requirements that prohibit child labor based on International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions. It only allows children to help their parents outside school time for a limited number of hours so as not to interfere with their education. It also stipulates that they must not undertake hazardous work that jeopardizes their health and safety and must always be accompanied by an adult relative. Cocoa and chocolate with the UTZ Certified label has been independently audited for compliance with this standard. Cargill also partners with other  labelling organizations such as Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade.

Partnering to improve access to education

Through partnerships in Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon and Ghana we are overcoming barriers to school attendance and improving rural education opportunities. In partnership with CARE, we are improving access to education for at least 60,000 children and helping address the worst forms of child labor in 140 cocoa producing districts in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire.

In conjunction with the European Institute for Co-operation & Development (IECD), we have also set-up 100 Family Farm schools and built or renovated 40 schools that are teaching children and young people aged between 14 and 25.  The three-year training is educating and teaching practical farming skills to help them become successful and independent rural entrepreneurs. Annually, 2000 students are trained as well as 600 adults.