The International Cocoa Initiative promotes child protection in cocoa-growing communities. We work to ensure a better future for children and their families.
ICI and its members pledge to scale up child protection systems in 2021
To mark the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour, the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) and its members are pledging to scale up systems that prevent and address child labour, as part of corporate human rights due diligence efforts, to cover 540,000 cocoa-growing households in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana by the end of 2021.
2021 is a pivotal year in the figh...
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The importance of women’s empowerment in the fight against child labour
The International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) has over 13 years of experience tackling child labour with our partners. During this time, we have learned a lot about what works to protect children and support cocoa communities to thrive. One of those actions is the importance of gender, specifically women’s empowerment, when tackling child labour. In this blog post, Euphrasie Aka, Co...
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What works to tackle child labour?
There are an estimated 1.56 million children in child labour in the cocoa sector in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana, that’s 50% of children living in cocoa-growing households. Child labour is a complex issue that requires a comprehensive and coordinated response from the entire cocoa sector to ensure assistance reaches all those at risk. With over 13 years of experience tackling child...
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ICI calls for massive expansion of effort in fight against child labour to reach all those in need
Child labour in cocoa remains a significant challenge despite extensive efforts to tackle it over the past two decades. While we have made great strides in understanding how to successfully reduce child labour and in implementing activities that have real impact, support currently reaches only a fraction of those in need. At ICI, we believe that true sector-wide change will onl...
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Cocoa News
CONFECTIONERY NEWS - Nestlé has claimed it has completed the majority of its public commitments with the release of its 2020 Creating Shared Value (CSV) and Sustainability Report. Read More
CONFECTIONERY PRODUCTION - The Ferrero confectionery group has confirmed it has achieved a target of sourcing 100% sustainable cocoa through independently managed standards, reports Neill Barston. As the company noted, its latest goal was achieved at the end of December 2020, and it is continuing to build on this with key progress towards complete traceability and due diligence across its supply chains. Read More
CONFECTIONERY NEWS - Memorandum of Understanding signed by Dutch Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa, Belgium’s Beyond Chocolate, the German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa and the Swiss Platform for Sustainable Cocoa agreeing to closer collaboration, Chocoa21 delegates told. Read More
CONFECTIONERY NEWS - Following recent news that The European Union will contribute €25m to boost the sustainability of cocoa production in Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Cameroon, the first session at this year’s Chocoa21 conference, held online from Amsterdam, could turn out to be one of the most important as it focussed on how data can play a crucial role in digitization an supply chain transparency. Read More
CONFECTIONERY PRODUCTION - The Chocoa cocoa and chocolate trade fair has unveiled major industry figures for its online event, including an opening address from ICCO executive director Michel Arrion, and representatives from Nestlé, Cargill, and the Solidaridad organisation, reports Neill Barston. Read More
EDIE - Chocolate manufacturer Barry Callebaut has an aim to make sustainable chocolate “the norm” by 2025 through its “Forever Chocolate” programme. It aims to do this through farm mapping, carbon footprint measurement and creating publicly accessible methodologies. Read More
CONFECTIONERY NEWS - Jutta Urpilainen (European Union Commissioner for International Partnerships) delivered a keynote address to the World Cocoa Foundation's Partnership Meeting mapping out the EC's new multi-stakeholder dialogue to improve sustainability in the cocoa sector. The session also included a panel discussion, moderated by Heidi Hautala (European Parliament Vice President) on how EU interventions can most effectively drive action to eliminate child labour, protect and restore forests, and ensure a living income for cocoa farmers. Read More
CONFECTIONERY PRODUCTION - US-based Mars Wrigley has released its 2020 Cocoa for Generations report, updating progress on its $1 billion investment over a decade on its drive to ensure 100% sustainability for its cocoa sourcing in key markets of Ghana and Ivory Coast, reports Neill Barston Read More
FOOD BEV - Cargill has launched CocoaWise, a digital portal for food and beverage manufacturers, which aims to boost transparency in the company's cocoa supply chain. Read More
REUTERS - Ivory Coast (Reuters) - Ivory Coast has raised the fixed farmgate price paid to cocoa farmers more than 21% to 1,000 CFA Francs ($1.80) per kg for the main crop of the 2020/2021 season starting Thursday, President Alassane Ouattara said. Read More
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