Responsible Cocoa Growing

The global chocolate industry is working to ensure that children are not harmed in cocoa farming  in West Africa.

The global chocolate and cocoa industry is working with the International Labour Organization (ILO), organized labor, NGOs and West African governments to promote responsible labor practices on cocoa farms in West Africa. In 2001, with the leadership of U.S. Senator Tom Harkin and Representative Eliot Engel, the industry signed an international "Protocol" agreement to ensure that cocoa is grown responsibly, without abusive child or forced labor.

As part of the Protocol agreement, the industry is committed to the development of "certification" standards for cocoa farming labor practices that will both drive and track continual progress in efforts to improve the lives of children and families on cocoa farms, and to promote responsible labor practices across the West African cocoa sector.

Read more about efforts to improve the lives of children and families on cocoa farms