Child Labor in the Cocoa Industry: 

It’s a harsh reality, but the cocoa industry which produces the chocolate we recognize and love is plagued with widespread instances of child labor and slavery. Cocoa is grown primarily in Western Africa and South America, with Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana together producing nearly 60% of the world’s cocoa each year alone. Alarmingly, the latest estimates by the U.S. Department of Labor found that 1.56 million children are engaged in child labor - including some in forced child labor - on cocoa farms in these two countries.

What is “Chocolatewashing?”

An analysis across the cocoa industry illustrates a pattern of misleading statements from chocolate companies that have made commitments to eliminate child labor, yet lack the traceability in their supply chains to substantiate such commitments.

By making these unsubstantiated claims, companies, and the investors behind them, are left exposed to a host of regulatory, legal, financial, and reputational risks.