In 2019, ICI launched a pilot project to better understand forced labour in the cocoa supply chain and how to address it.
This pilot project led to the development of an approach to identify forced labour risks and specific measures that can be tailored to respond to potential and confirmed cases.
As a result, in 2020, ICI began developing a series of tools that will be made available to the sector at large. These tools will support all stakeholders involved to understand, assess and address forced labour and its risks. For instance, a lack of contracts or written agreements between a farmer and their workers is one risk factor that can contribute to forced labour. One way to alleviate this risk is the use of employment contracts that clearly lay out a worker’s rights. As illiteracy, or lack of access to education, is also a risk factor, illustrated or visual contracts can be used as well.
