The NGO Swedwatch has discovered that Swedish confectionary manufacturers have not taken measures to prevent the use of child labour in cocoa harvesting.
Chocolate Industry Runs on Child Labour
”Most of the cocoa stems from west Africa, including Ghana and the Ivory Coast. Conditions in these countries are quite undeveloped, and it's nearly impossible to supervise conditions there,” says Timo Jaatinen of the Finnish Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry.
“It’s impossible to guarantee that child labour has not been used in production. Entire families often work on farms, and people in these countries don’t have much choice when it comes to earning money for their families,” adds Jaatinen.
Finnish confectionary manufacturers say they're aware of the problem.
Panda MD Ami Ward says that most cocoa suppliers are unable to guarantee that their beans were harvested without child labour.
Experts say confectionery makers could stop unfair labour practices at cocoa farms by only using Fair Trade certified cocoa products.
However Anita Laxen of the Finnish flagship confectionary maker Fazer says there is no silver bullet for rooting out child labour.
“Young cocoa farm labourers also handle tools that are not appropriate for children,” adds Laxen.