Child labour

Press release - MEPs: Hold companies accountable for harm caused to people and planet

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, January 28, 2021
Articles, Ethics, Ethical investment, Lara Wolters, Corporate social responsibility, Due diligence, Child labour, Wolters

MEPs call for additional measures, including a ban on importing products linked to severe human rights violations such as forced or child labour.

Key Points: 
  • MEPs call for additional measures, including a ban on importing products linked to severe human rights violations such as forced or child labour.
  • A new law on corporate due diligence will set the standard for responsible business conduct in Europe and beyond.
  • No longer will companies be able to harm people and the planet without being held accountable, said rapporteur Lara Wolters (S&D, NL).
  • The new rules will hold companies legally responsible for avoiding and limiting risks in their entire value chain.

USA Cacao Barry Ambassador Champions Sustainability to Eradicate Child Labor Through Support of Cocoa Horizons

Retrieved on: 
Monday, December 14, 2020
Food and drink, Food industry, Chocolate, Cocoa production, Chocolate industry, Crops, Barry Callebaut, Theobroma cacao, Cocoa, Cacao, Child labour, Cocoa bean

He will be a champion for sustainable cocoa practices and work with Cacao Barry and the Cocoa Horizons Foundation to educate chefs and continue raising awareness on sustainability throughout the cocoa industry worldwide.

Key Points: 
  • He will be a champion for sustainable cocoa practices and work with Cacao Barry and the Cocoa Horizons Foundation to educate chefs and continue raising awareness on sustainability throughout the cocoa industry worldwide.
  • In 2016 he was exposed to the realities of unsustainable cocoa production, such as deforestation and child labor, while visiting cocoa plantations in Peru with Cacao Barry.
  • He fully supports the mission of the Cocoa Horizons Foundation and its goals to eradicate child labor, lift cocoa farmers out of poverty, eliminate deforestation, and become carbon positive by 2025.
  • "Being a Cacao Barry Ambassador not only means enthusiastically supporting the high-quality chocolates that I've used for years, but being part of something bigger through the Cocoa Horizons partnership, with an emphasis on promoting sustainable practices," said Chef Francisco Migoya, USA Cacao Barry Ambassador.

NGOs: Are Industry and Governments Watering Down New Cocoa Report Data to Downplay Persistent Child Labor and Farmer Poverty?

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, October 13, 2020
Retail, Public policy, Law enforcement, Emergency services, Other Policy Issues, Other Government, Labor, Other Consumer, Philanthropy, Environment, Public policy, Government, Agriculture, Natural Resources, Other Philanthropy, Food, Beverage, Consumer, Food and drink, Articles, Food industry, Chocolate industry, Cocoa production, Children's rights, Labor rights, Chocolate, Cooking, Child labour, Cocoa, Florida, Child labour in cocoa production

The leaked NORC report also revealed the number of child laborers being exposed to harmful pesticides had increased.

Key Points: 
  • The leaked NORC report also revealed the number of child laborers being exposed to harmful pesticides had increased.
  • Chocolate is a $100 billion per year industry, and yet most cocoa farmers live on less than $1 per day.
  • WCF states that the industry has spent $215 million to address child labor over a 20-year time period.
  • Until companies step up and pay a living income for all cocoa farmers, the millions put into child labor remediation is just balderdash.

RCMP partners with the Dominican Republic to help in the fight against child sexual abuse

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, August 11, 2020
Articles, Human sexuality, Sexual ethics, Forced prostitution, Sex crimes, Child labour, Human rights abuses, Commercial sexual exploitation of children, Child sexual abuse, Laws regarding child sexual abuse, Trafficking of children, Child prostitution

This partnership will build on the existing relationship between the two countries to fight against atrocities such as the sale of children, child prostitution and pornography, trafficking and other forms of child sexual abuse.

Key Points: 
  • This partnership will build on the existing relationship between the two countries to fight against atrocities such as the sale of children, child prostitution and pornography, trafficking and other forms of child sexual abuse.
  • "These Agreements will further enhance the great collaboration between the RCMP and our colleagues from the Dominican Republic.
  • The RCMP's National Child Exploitation Crime Centre (NCECC), was created in response to the growing and disturbing crime of online child sexual exploitation.
  • In 2019, the NCECC received 102,967 reports of online child sexual abuse, a dramatic 1106% increase since 2014.

Major tech companies still failing to prevent forced labor in supply chains as COVID-19 raises risk to workers

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, June 9, 2020
Child labour, Debt bondage, Bondage

Yet forced labor is pervasive across the sector, with an investigation revealing ICT workers in Malaysia trapped in debt bondage, and a recent study finding ICT companies sourcing from Chinese factories using forced labor.

Key Points: 
  • Yet forced labor is pervasive across the sector, with an investigation revealing ICT workers in Malaysia trapped in debt bondage, and a recent study finding ICT companies sourcing from Chinese factories using forced labor.
  • The 49 largest ICT companies scored an average of just 30/100 on their efforts to tackle forced labor, with 38 companies (76%) scoring below 50/100.
  • The benchmark finds companies have increased efforts to stop workers being charged recruitment fees, a situation which puts many at risk of debt bondage.
  • "Despite the sector's poor average performance, there are companies that prove tackling forced labor and a healthy return on investment is achievable.

Victims Of Chipotle's Alleged Child Labor Violations To Hold News Conference In New Jersey

Retrieved on: 
Friday, February 21, 2020
Restaurants, Fast-food restaurants, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Cuisine of the Western United States, Companies, Childhood, Child labour, Class action

This first-of-its-kind putative class action seeks to hold Chipotle liable for violating the New Jersey Child Labor Laws.

Key Points: 
  • This first-of-its-kind putative class action seeks to hold Chipotle liable for violating the New Jersey Child Labor Laws.
  • According to lead Plaintiff, Abbie Van Lee, Chipotle told her the child labor laws were only "guidelines."
  • This putative class action dovetails with a nearly $2 million dollar child labor law violation settlement Chipotle reached with the Attorney General of Massachusetts in January 2020.
  • The widespread child labor violations uncovered by the Attorney General of Massachusetts are nearly identical to those being alleged here in this putative class action involving New Jersey school-aged children.

As Valentine’s Approaches, Major Retailers Rated on Whether Chocolate Products Address Child Labor, Deforestation and Fair Trade

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
MEN, Retail, Family, Consumer, Public policy, Government, Convenience store, Children, Supermarket, Other Consumer, White House, Federal Government, Women, Food, Beverage, Public policy, Other Policy Issues, Food and drink, Foods, Retailers, Baking, Candy, Chocolate, Cooking, Desserts, Kroger, Child labour, Aldi, Deforestation

For decades the chocolate industry, including retailers, has known about child labor in chocolate production, but we are still seeing major retailers, like Trader Joes, doing relatively little to address this issue, said Charlotte Tate, manager, Labor Justice Campaigns, Green America.

Key Points: 
  • For decades the chocolate industry, including retailers, has known about child labor in chocolate production, but we are still seeing major retailers, like Trader Joes, doing relatively little to address this issue, said Charlotte Tate, manager, Labor Justice Campaigns, Green America.
  • Aldi, Food Lion and Kroger were the top-ranking retailers on the Scorecard for addressing child labor, poverty and deforestation.
  • If retailers and chocolate companies remain unwilling to ensure farmers are paid fairly, then poverty, child labor and deforestation will continue to grow.
  • In addition, annually, Green America maintains a scorecard that examines the chocolate brands efforts to address child labor in their chocolate supply chain.

Global Lack of Reporting on Conflict Minerals and Cobalt Puts Investors at Risk

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Physical sciences, Chemistry, Chemical elements, Transition metals, Minerals, Child labour, Conflict resource, Cobalt, Tantalum, Supply chain

The report analyzes 215 companies supply chain due diligence efforts regarding 3TG conflict minerals tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold.

Key Points: 
  • The report analyzes 215 companies supply chain due diligence efforts regarding 3TG conflict minerals tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold.
  • The report also ranks 27 companies on efforts to address child labor and other human rights abuses in their cobalt supply chains.
  • The average score for cobalt 26.4 demonstrates a corporate risk that is deplorable.
  • The three bottom-performing industries were, for a second year in a row, integrated oil & gas, steel, and business services.

Responsible Mica and Minerals Initiatives Collaborate to End Child Labor and Improve Working Conditions

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Other Health, Health, Philanthropy, Mining, Minerals, Other Philanthropy, Transport, Natural Resources, Logistics, Supply chain management, Ethics, Articles, Academic disciplines, Corporate social responsibility, Ethical investment, Mica, Child labour, the Responsible Mica Initiative, the Responsible Minerals Initiative

The Responsible Mica Initiative and the Responsible Minerals Initiative, an Initiative of the Responsible Business Alliance, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to work toward ending the use of child labor and to improve working conditions in mica industry supply chains globally.

Key Points: 
  • The Responsible Mica Initiative and the Responsible Minerals Initiative, an Initiative of the Responsible Business Alliance, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to work toward ending the use of child labor and to improve working conditions in mica industry supply chains globally.
  • The Responsible Mica Initiative is a Do-Tank that aims to eradicate child labor and unacceptable working conditions in the Indian mica supply chain by joining forces across industries.
  • The Responsible Mica Initiative is a non-governmental organization created in January 2017 to build a sustainable mica supply chain in India by promoting responsible sourcing practices and eradicating child labor and unacceptable working conditions.
  • For more information, visit Responsible Mica Initiative
    The Responsible Minerals Initiative, an Initiative of the Responsible Business Alliance, is a multi-industry initiative with more than 380 member companies.

Grant & Eisenhofer ESG Institute Petitions U.S. Government to Block Importation of Palm Oil Produced by FGV Holdings Berhad in Malaysia, Based on Evidence of Child and Forced Labor Practices

Retrieved on: 
Monday, June 24, 2019
Articles, Humans, Crops, Palm oil, Tropical agriculture, Human trafficking, Child labour, Social issues

"The problem of forced and child labor in the global palm oil industry has been widely recognized for several years," said Mr. Haazen.

Key Points: 
  • "The problem of forced and child labor in the global palm oil industry has been widely recognized for several years," said Mr. Haazen.
  • The ESG Institute petition, sent to CBP Commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan, sets forth ample evidence of forced labor including child labor and human trafficking in Malaysia's $9.7 billion palm oil industry.
  • Child labor, which the U.S. Labor Department in 2018 reported as a problem in Malaysia's palm oil industry, may be occurring on FGV plantations as well.
  • Grant & Eisenhofer ESG Institute is an advocacy group focused on legal considerations surrounding environmental, social and governance issues in institutional investing.