Rainforest Alliance senior trainer, Edmond Konan, with one of the cocoa cooperatives in Côte d’Ivoire; credit Bettina Mueller-Roettig
You may have seen the recent BBC Panorama programme, The Bitter Truth of Chocolate, which addressed issues of child labour in the cocoa growing regions of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. As more and more chocolate being sold on the UK’s high street is bearing credible certification marks such as the Rainforest Alliance’s green frog seal you may be wondering what we are doing in West Africa to work with cocoa farmers to help improve their livelihoods, living standards and tackle the issue of child labour.
The Rainforest Alliance promotes the Sustainable Agriculture Standard and certifies farms and groups of small holder farmers that comply with this Standard. We have been working in Côte d’Ivoire for four years and in Ghana for two. To become Rainforest Alliance Certified™ cocoa farmers spend about six months preparing for a certification audit. During this time they receive training in the Standard, which comprises a range of socially and environmentally responsible practices, as well as good agricultural practices. At any one time we have between 12 to 15 trainers working in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. Principle 5 of the standard has detailed criteria about employment conditions, including children working on farms. These criteria have been cross referenced to the law in both Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, so that farmers, group managers and auditors are all aware of the requirements of both the law and the certification Standard. Specifically, the Standard:
· Prohibits direct or indirect employment of full- or part-time workers under the age of 15 or the minimum legal age, whichever is higher
· Requires farms contracting minors between the ages of 15 and 17 to keep detailed records of length and type of work carried out (they may not work more than eight hours per day, apply any agrochemicals or undertake any tasks affecting their health or safety), they must ensure remuneration is received and the permission of the parents or guardians is obtained
· Allows minors between 12 and 14 years old to work part-time on family farms, only if they are family members or neighbours in a community where minors have traditionally helped with agricultural work. The schedule for these minors including school, transportation and work must not exceed ten hours on school days (including the time they spend in school) or eight hours on non-school days, and farm work must not interfere with educational opportunities.
For the full text, see www.rainforest-alliance.org/agriculture
The Rainforest Alliance certification system supports the elimination of child labour in three ways:
Woman farmer, Daloa, Côte d’Ivoire; women take part in the training program and are very conscious of their children’s welfare.
1. Through the training programme it builds awareness among farmers and communities of the welfare of their children. I have taken part in training programmes where farmers stood up and told how they now realized the importance of educating their children and not exposing them to unhealthy or unsafe work in cocoa farms, such as carrying heavy loads or using a machete. From the UK to Africa to Australia, farmers are famously reluctant to change what they and their ancestors have always done, so hearing this makes me realize our approach can work.
2. Rainforest Alliance specifically collaborates with the International Cocoa Initiative and the Sustainable Tree Crops Programme, which are in turn supporting government efforts to educate cocoa growing communities about child welfare and monitor employment practices.
3. The certification system requires continuous visits to farms by internal inspectors and an annual external audit to record employment practices. It provides an incentive to farmers to comply with the standard by offering new market opportunities once they become certified.
In spite of our vigilance and care, sometimes abuse can slip through this education and verification approach. It is impossible to monitor every cocoa farm every day of the year. For this reason, the Rainforest Alliance does not claim that its certification system is a guarantee. In countries where poverty and traditions drive unacceptable employment practices in several industries, no credible system can make such guarantees. But the combination of education and auditing is the best assurance possible that child labour is not present in a Rainforest Alliance CertifiedTM farm.
We are very careful to ensure that cocoa from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms remains separated from cocoa from non-certified farms throughout the supply chain. We require certified cocoa to be documented and separated as it is distributed through the supply chain from farmer to group to exporter to importer and processor. This chain of custody system enables the manufacturer of a cocoa or chocolate product using the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal to know that the cocoa supplied to its factory has not been mixed with cocoa from non certified sources.
Tackling issues of child labour in West Africa is one of our greatest challenges. But by increasing the number of farms that achieve Rainforest Alliance certification, we are working with other NGOs, government agencies and international bodies to educate farmers and eliminate the use of children on cocoa farms. The best incentive for farmers to embrace the Sustainable Agriculture Standard, which includes many other social and environmental requirements that help improve quality of life, is if they have a secure market and can sell their crops to forward-thinking companies like Kraft and Mars. That’s where consumers come in. So look out for the green frog seal.
Edward Millard
Director, Sustainable Landscapes
Rainforest Alliance
