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Panorama’s “Chocolate, the Bitter Truth” (http://news.bbc.co.uk/panorama/hi/ 24/3/10) is a timely reminder of the reality of child labour and child trafficking in the cocoa sector.
Child labour, and more particularly the worst forms of child labour, is a symptom of poverty and inequality in global trade. Returns from cocoa production are so low that many children are forced to work on the family farm while communities (such as those highlighted in Burkina Faso) are so poor that some see children as an asset to traffic. Ultimately, child labour will continue in the cocoa sector and in other sectors of the economy until there is a fundamental change in the underlying economics of cocoa production and its global supply chains and wider impact on the causes of poverty and vulnerability.
For the last 25 years Twin has worked with others to address, through trade, the root causes of inequality and poverty that force children to work. In 1993, Twin supported a group of cocoa farmers in Ghana to form Kuapa Kokoo, a democratic cooperative, to protect themselves from unscrupulous buyers and to secure a better price for their cocoa. In 1997 Kuapa Kokoo and Twin, along with other partners, helped to create Divine Chocolate Company a unique business 45% owned by Kuapa Kokoo helping farmers’ to capture greater value from their labours (through dividends, representation on the board and capacity development).
Kuapa Kokoo takes child labour issues extremely seriously and is committed to the elimination of the worst forms of child labour. Over many years the co-operative has been developing clear policies and more rigorous systems to manage and monitor all its social and labour standards (for more details see the report on their website: www.kuapakokoo.com). However, child labour is a wider national, regional and global industry problem that no single organisation can solve. Like most of our producer partners in Africa, Kuapa Kokoo operate with limited resources to grow and sustain viable businesses, let alone tackle deep-set social and economic issues on a regional level. As a Fairtrade cooperative, however, Kuapa Kokoo is in a better place than many to meet the challenge.
Panorama has provided an important service in highlighting the issue of child labour in the cocoa sector in West Africa. We believe that only by addressing the underlying causes of poverty and vulnerability across Africa can we hope to bring an end to the worst forms of child labour highlighted in the programme. We must not, however, let the scale of the challenge prevent us from seeking practical and innovative ways to empower consumers and farmers alike. To this end, Kuapa Kokoo and Divine will continue to play a key role in trying to ensure that cocoa farmers across West Africa receive a fair deal for their cocoa.
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