Child Labor in West African Cocoa Production: Issues and U.S. Policy

Publication Date: July 2005

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Human rights

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Abstract:

Stories of children being trafficked to work under horrific conditions in West African cocoa fields emerged in 2000. Shortly thereafter, in 2001, Congress passed H.Amdt. 142 to P.L. 107-76, FY2002 Agriculture, Rural Development and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Appropriations, which would have provided $250,000 to the Food and Drug Administration, to be used to develop a label for chocolate products indicating that no child slave labor had been used in the growing and harvesting of cocoa in a product so labeled. A Senate companion bill was never introduced, in part because after House passage of the bill, representatives of the cocoa industry, the International Labor Organization (ILO), several private labor rights groups, and Members of Congress, negotiated "a comprehensive, six-point problem-solving" protocol aimed at ending the "use of abusive child labor in cocoa growing." Signatories to the protocol committed to developing a certification process that would ensure that no abusive child labor would be used in cocoa production. It is currently being debated whether the protocol has been implemented in full by its July 1, 2005 deadline. Critics contend that the cocoa/chocolate industry fell short of its commitments, as it has only developed a pilot certification scheme in Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire -- which does not encapsulate the entire West African cocoa producing region. The industry counters that significant progress has been made, the affected governments have contributed significant resources towards this endeavor, and that this is a work in progress. According to a joint statement released by Senator Tom Harkin, Representative Eliot Engel, and the cocoa/chocolate industry on July 1, 2005, the cocoa/chocolate industry has committed to expanding its pilot certification system to cover 50% of the cocoa growing areas of Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana within three years.

There has been a wide range of suggestions in countering the use of abusive child labor in cocoa production. Some advocate revoking trade preferences. Others point to the root cause of child labor: poverty. Those analysts suggest boosting investments in education, and boosting world cocoa prices. Still some observers assert that conflict and political instability will hinder any effort to counter abusive child labor.

This report outlines how and where cocoa is produced, discusses the use of abusive child labor in the industry, efforts by Congress to counter abusive child labor -- including the Harkin-Engel Protocol, and initiatives by affected governments and international organizations to address the problem. This report also provides possible policy options that might undertaken to stop the use of child labor in cocoa production. This report will be periodically updated.