The initiative is part of an action plan drawn up by Nestlé in response to a report on the company’s cocoa supply chain in the West African country by the Fair Labor Association (FLA).
It builds upon existing efforts to develop a more sustainable cocoa supply through the Nestlé Cocoa Plan.
José Lopez, Nestlé’s executive vice president for operations, said: “The use of child labour in our cocoa supply chain goes against everything we stand for.
“As the FLA report makes clear, no company sourcing cocoa from Côte d’Ivoire can guarantee that it doesn’t happen, but what we can say is that tackling child labour is a top priority for our company,”
The FLA concluded that, with some adjustments and improvements, the Nestlé Cocoa Plan can become a well-rounded developmental programme.
The plan, along with the other initiatives Nestlé participates in, provides the building blocks for a more robust and deep reaching effort, the FLA experts say in their report.
They found that child labour is a reality on cocoa farms in Côte d’Ivoire and has its roots in a combination of factors including poverty and the socio-economic situation of the farmers and their families.
The report says an effective strategy to eliminate the problem must start by tackling the attitudes and perceptions of those in the cocoa supply chain and the communities in which they live.
Nestlé does not own or operate farms in Côte d’Ivoire, but is well positioned to make a positive impact on the livelihoods of workers in the cocoa supply chain, the FLA says, due to its leverage with its suppliers and the volume of cocoa beans it procures.
The FLA made 11 recommendations to Nestlé, all of which the company fully supports and is acting upon, in some cases in collaboration with its partners, according to Nestlé.
Nestlé wants suppliers in Côte d’Ivoire to ensure that the farmers growing cocoa for the company are fully aware of the obligations contained in the code.
The company will work more closely with its suppliers, its certification partners and other bodies to ensure those working throughout the cocoa supply chain receive better training on the nature of the child labour problem and how to address it.
Nestlé believes that working with local communities to create a robust monitoring and remedy scheme will produce the greatest returns as it seeks to improve working conditions.
The company’s management in Côte d’Ivoire will oversee the new child labour initiatives and co-ordinate efforts with partners, suppliers and the authorities.
Nestlé will work with its partner, the International Cocoa Initiative, a foundation that works with the cocoa industry, civil society and trade unions, to set up the new monitoring and remedy scheme.
It will be piloted in 40 communities covered by two co-operatives of cocoa farms during this year’s cocoa harvest.
The plan is to scale it up to include 30 more co-operatives by 2016, involving around 600 communities.
The FLA will evaluate how successful this model of child labour monitoring and prevention is over the next three years.
Source: Nestlé
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