Mondelez International will look to “strengthen” its moves to tackle child labour in its cocoa supply chain in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana.
The Cadbury and Milka maker said it plans to implement six recommendations from human rights consultancy Embode, which had assessed conditions in the African countries last year at the request of the US snacks group.
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Embode has recommended Mondelez develop and implement a child protection policy and code, which the company said would “explicitly require the reporting and referral of child protection cases, including child labour and child slavery”.
The six areas also include efforts to work “in closer partnership with local and national authorities to align and contribute to governments’ strategies for cocoa sustainability and child well-being”.
Cathy Pieters, director of Cocoa Life, the Mondelez programme to make its cocoa supply chain more sustainable, said: “We value Embode’s insights and plan to implement the recommendations for our Cocoa Life programme. We’ll consult with our programme partners and government authorities to strengthen existing child protection structures, improve access to education and continue to address root causes like poverty in Cocoa Life communities in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.”
A spokesperson for Mondelez told just-food the company would not “commit to timeframe” for the implementation of Embode’s recommendations before the company’s speaks to its partners.
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By GlobalDataAidan McQuade, director of UK-based NGO Anti-Slavery International, said: “Embode’s reports are a significant step forward for transparency and offer new thinking on ways to address the root causes of child labour in cocoa farming. Further engaging with other businesses through existing non-competitive platforms within the cocoa sector to address these issues will be crucial to help deliver wider impact.”
