Consultative Group to Eliminate the Use of Child Labor and Forced Labor in Imported Agricultural Products

March 29, 2010: Public Meeting —Washington, DC

A public meeting of the Consultative Group was held Monday, March 29th at the Jamie L. Whitten Building (USDA). The purpose of the meeting was to receive information or comments from organizations and the general public on the following issues.

1. Examples of identification, monitoring, verification, and/or certification systems, or other models, that have been successful in reducing child labor and/or forced labor in the global supply chains within the agricultural sector or other industries;
2. The roles and responsibilities that may be appropriate for the business sector and other stakeholders (governments, unions, nongovernmental organizations, and others) in establishing independent, third-party monitoring and verification systems for the production, processing, and distribution of agricultural products or commodities;
3. Other information that would be useful to the Consultative Group in meeting its mandate to develop recommendations relating to a standard set of practices for independent, third-party monitoring and verification for the production, processing, and distribution of agricultural products or commodities to reduce the likelihood that agricultural products or commodities imported into the United States are produced with the use of forced labor or child labor.

• Agenda (PDF)
• Meeting Transcript (PDF)

Oral Testimony

• Carolina Barco, Ambassador, Colombia – represented by Ricardo Triana, Director of the Colombian Government Trade Bureau (PDF)
• Antonia Cortese, Secretary-Treasurer, American Federation of Teachers (PDF)
• Darryl Knudsen, Senior Manager of Strategic Partnerships, Gap Inc. (PDF)
• Peter McAllister, Executive Director, International Cocoa Initiative (PDF)
• Mil Niepold, Senior Policy Advisor, Verite (PDF)
• Roger Quarles, President, Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative Association/International Tobacco Growers Association (PDF)
• Supplemental information (PDF)
• Avedis Seferian, Director of Compliance Administration, Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (PDF)
• Lisa Weddig, Director, Regulatory and Technical Affairs, National Fisheries Institute (PDF)

Written Statements Received in Response to the Public Meeting

• Statement of the Sugar Alliance of the Philippines (PDF)
• Better Cotton Initiative: Production Principles and Criteria (PDF)
• Better Cotton Initiative: Benchmarks for Smallholder Employers (PDF)
• Fair trade Labeling Organization International Statement (PDF)
• GENERIC FAIR TRADE STANDARDS FOR Small Producers' Organizations (PDF)
• GENERIC FAIR TRADE STANDARDS FOR Small Contract Production (PDF)
• Statement of Bennett Freeman, Senior Vice President, Calvert Asset Management Company, Inc. (PDF)
• Verité's Written Testimony (PDF)
• Business Council for Global Development (PDF)
• Global Issues Group (PDF)
• International Labour Organization (PDF)
• National Fisheries Institute (PDF)
• Eliminating Child Labour in Tobacco-growing (ECLT) Foundation (PDF)
• Philippine Ambassador to the United States Willy C. Gaa (PDF)
• Comment from the Columbian Sugar Producers (PDF)

Written Statements Received in Response to the Public Meeting Notice

• Mr. Gary Blumenthal - World Perspectives, Inc. (PDF)
• Mr. Nicholas Downing a.k.a. Jean Public (PDF)
• Mr. Bennett Freeman - Calvert Group, Ltd. (PDF)
• ASOCAÑA, in representation of the Colombian Sugar Sector (PDF)