Sustainable Initiatives


New programme for Fairtrade cocoa cooperatives supports child labour prevention and remediation efforts


A new programme is being launched to support Fairtrade certified Ivorian and Ghanaian cocoa cooperatives to strengthen prevention and remediation of child labour and forced labour, according to a joint announcement by Fairtrade International and Fairtrade Africa.


change in approach is urgently needed. The new initiative, known as the Fairtrade Child Labour and


W


  for initiatives that focus on essential but often underfunded elements of strengthening children’s rights and ending harmful practices. “There has been a great deal of attention paid to monitoring


 d’Ivoire and Ghana especially, which is necessary but not   Edward Akapire, the Director of Fairtrade Africa’s West Africa Network. “With this new programme, Fairtrade aims to support producer organisations to invest in prevention – such as improving education – as well as remediation of detected cases, which means connecting children and families with resources so that they can thrive, rather than driving harmful practices further underground.” The Fairtrade Standards prohibit exploitative child labour,


  percent guarantee that a product is free of child labour. In addition, while many cooperatives now have a monitoring and remediation system in place, they may lack the resources to tackle more expensive prevention and remediation measures. The programme is being launched with €450,000 from


Fairtrade Germany, Fairtrade Austria and Fairtrade Max Havelaar Switzerland and other Fairtrade organisations, and will be expanded with additional contributions. In this way, the programme also provides an avenue for


cocoa exporters, importers, manufacturers, brands and retailers in Fairtrade cocoa supply chains to support producer organisations to address and remediate child labour and forced labour, which is a new requirement in the Fairtrade


28 Kennedy’s Confection June 2023


ith the incidence of child labour having increased in the past decade – involving  17 working on cocoa farms in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, according to a 2020 report – a


Standard for Cocoa. Taking effect on 1 July 2023, the requirement applies to


supply chains that originate in high-risk regions, including Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. Companies that buy cocoa on mass balance terms, meaning the cocoa can be mixed after it is   the Fairtrade Standards support requirement. Prevention activities such as improving access to quality


education for children, and income generating activities that address household poverty, are potential areas the cocoa cooperatives might seek to address. Innovative project ideas based on cooperatives’ experiences and priorities are also an important aspect of the programme’s funding criteria. 


  evaluation to assess the effectiveness of interventions and to share lessons learned will be part of all funded projects. A management committee will provide expertise and the latest knowledge on best practices. The committee includes Matthias Lange, Executive Director of the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI), an organisation dedicated to eliminating child labour in the cocoa sector and a key project collaborator. “We recognise that the programme cannot cover all the


needs for investment in prevention and remediation activities,” emphasised Jon Walker, Senior Cocoa Advisor for Fairtrade International. “However, it will help some cooperatives to fund projects that they consider most urgent on the way to eliminating child and forced labour, and providing valuable learnings for possible scale-up. With the combination of this programme and the requirement for all supply chain actors to support cooperatives, we know we can accelerate positive  


     programme and the application process at the Fairtrade Africa website. Traders who want more information on contributing to the fund can contact their local National Fairtrade Organisation.


KennedysConfection.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44