永續可可

Child labor risks are a complex and challenging issue in our cocoa supply chain, and is affected by many factors, including poverty, demographics, education, infrastructure and local culture. We work with supply chain partners and local communities in West Africa to address the risk of child labor. 

Since 2012, a key element in our work has been our Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation System (CLMRS), which enables us to identify children at risk, raise awareness and provide remediation. 

Our remediation work has helped children identified as being involved in hazardous work to stop performing those tasks at the first follow up visit. With poverty being a cause of child labor risks, supporting the livelihoods of cocoa-farming communities is also an important part of our strategy.

Further insights into the successes and challenges of running CLMRS in Côte d’Ivoire can be found in our Tackling Child Labor report and our Creating Shared Value and Sustainability report 2021. 

Many farmers face extreme challenges to secure a living income for themselves and their families. This can drive them to make choices that are not sustainable, such as cutting down trees to access more land to grow more cocoa.

That is why we have launched the Income Accelerator Program. Using financial incentives, we will encourage behavior change that will deliver sustainable economic growth for cocoa-farming families.

Incentivized actions include applying good agricultural practices, introducing additional income streams, keeping children in school and planting shade trees.

Many individuals, communities and villages in cocoa-growing areas find it difficult to save money. We are supporting efforts to help them through a community approach. 

The Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) scheme openly ensures that everyone can see how much money is paid into a secure box and how much is going out if someone needs assistance. At the end of each annual cycle, accumulated savings are distributed back to members with interest.

This demonstrates that communities can save and provide support to individuals when needed, creating trust and bringing the community together. It also enables people to save for bigger purchases or to start their own businesses. Once trained, the communities can run the funds themselves, enabling the whole village to become more resilient.

Jean Marie Koffi Kouadio began working on his father’s farm in 2013, taking it over after his father’s death three years later. In 2015, he was invited to join the Nestlé Elite Farmer program. 

The training provided has allowed him to improve how he manages his farm and business skills through:

• Planning and managing cash flow, margins, loans, savings, diversification and household management.
• Farm rejuvenation by increasing the variety of cocoa grown and diversifying.
• Becoming a lead farmer and sharing his agripreneurial mindset and learning with fellow farmers.
• Participating in several international conferences to share his experiences.