List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor

ILAB has reason to believe that multiple cocoa and chocolate products produced in the Netherlands are produced with an input produced with child labor, specifically from cocoa beans produced in Ghana and Côte
d’Ivoire. These products include cocoa paste, cocoa butter, cocoa powder, and chocolate. Cocoa from Ghana was added to ILAB’s List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor in 2009 for child labor. Cocoa from Côte d’Ivoire was added to ILAB’s List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor in 2009 for child labor, forced labor, and forced child labor. In 2022, the Netherlands imported 10.72% of its cocoa beans from Ghana and 39% from Côte d’Ivoire; 27.4% of its cocoa paste from Ghana and 62% from Côte d’Ivoire; 27.96% of its cocoa butter from Ghana and 33% from Côte d’Ivoire; and 29.47% of its cocoa powder from Ghana and 31% from Côte d’Ivoire, using these inputs to produce cocoa and chocolate products. The availability of this research demonstrates the Government of Ghana’s and Government of Côte d’Ivoire’s commitment to addressing labor abuses in the cocoa industry. The Netherlands has also undertaken a number of initiatives aimed at eradicating child labor from the cocoa sector. Nonetheless, the use of child labor in Ghana’s and Côte d’Ivoire’s production of cocoa beans remains a significant challenge.

ILAB has reason to believe that multiple cocoa and chocolate products made in Côte d’Ivoire are produced with an input made with child labor, specifically from cocoa beans produced in Côte d’Ivoire. These products include cocoa paste, cocoa butter, cocoa powder, and chocolate. Cocoa from Côte d’Ivoire produced with child labor, forced labor, and forced child labor was added to ILAB’s List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor in 2009. Based on the most recently available estimate from NORC at the University of Chicago, the prevalence rate of child labor in cocoa production among cocoa growing households is 41%, meaning about 790,000 children work in child labor in cocoa production in Côte d’Ivoire. These cocoa-growing households produce the vast majority Côte d’Ivoire’s cocoa beans. Thus, products that rely heavily on cocoa beans originating from Côte d’Ivoire are at high risk of having an input produced with child labor. In 2022, the Netherlands imported 39% of its cocoa beans, 62% of its cocoa paste, 33% of its cocoa butter, and 31% of its cocoa powder from Côte d’Ivoire, using these inputs to produce cocoa and chocolate products. The availability of continued research demonstrates the Government of Côte d’Ivoire’s commitment to addressing labor abuses in the cocoa industry. Nonetheless, the use of child labor in Côte d’Ivoire’s production of cocoa beans remains a significant challenge.

ILAB has reason to believe that multiple cocoa and chocolate products made in Ghana are produced with an input made with child labor, specifically from cocoa beans produced in Ghana. These products include cocoa paste, cocoa butter, cocoa powder, and chocolate. Cocoa from Ghana produced with child labor was added to ILAB’s List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor in 2009. Based on the most recently available estimate from NORC at the University of Chicago, the prevalence rate of child labor in cocoa production among cocoa growing households is 55%, meaning an estimated 765,754 children work in child labor in cocoa production in Ghana. These cocoa growing households produce the vast majority of Ghana’s cocoa beans. Thus, products that rely heavily on cocoa beans originating from Ghana are at risk of having an input produced with child labor. The availability of this research demonstrates the Government of Ghana’s commitment to addressing labor abuses in the cocoa industry. Nonetheless, the use of child labor in Ghana’s production of cocoa beans remains a significant challenge.

ILAB has reason to believe that multiple cocoa and chocolate products produced in the Netherlands are produced with an input produced with child labor, specifically from cocoa beans produced in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. These products include cocoa paste, cocoa butter, cocoa powder, and chocolate. Cocoa from Ghana was added to ILAB’s List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor in 2009 for child labor. Cocoa from Côte d’Ivoire was added to ILAB’s List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor in 2009 for child labor, forced labor, and forced child labor. In 2022, the Netherlands imported 10.72% of its cocoa beans from Ghana and 39% from Côte d’Ivoire; 27.4% of its cocoa paste from Ghana and 62% from Côte d’Ivoire; 27.96% of its cocoa butter from Ghana and 33% from Côte d’Ivoire; and 29.47% of its cocoa powder from Ghana and 31% from Côte d’Ivoire, using these inputs to produce cocoa and chocolate products. The availability of this research demonstrates the Government of Ghana’s and Government of Côte d’Ivoire’s commitment to addressing labor abuses in the cocoa industry. The Netherlands has also undertaken a number of initiatives aimed at eradicating child labor from the cocoa sector. Nonetheless, the use of child labor in Ghana’s and Côte d’Ivoire’s production of cocoa beans remains a significant challenge.

ILAB has reason to believe that coconut oil and copra meal produced in the Philippines are produced with an input produced with child labor, specifically coconuts produced in the Philippines. Coconut from the Philippines produced with child labor was added to ILAB’s List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor in 2009. The Philippines is a leading global exporter of coconut oil and copra meal. In 2021, the Philippines exported $1.8 billion of coconut oil, representing 46.4% of total global exports. In 2021, the Philippines exported $92 million of copra meal, representing 53.5% of total global exports. This research suggests that further downstream products of coconut, such as animal feed, household and industrial items, bakery items, personal care and cosmetic products, may be produced with an input produced with child labor.

There are reports that adults are forced to work in the production of coffee in Brazil.  According to media reports and NGOs, cases of forced labor within the coffee sector are a recurring problem.  A large number of these violations occur in the state of Minas Gerais, which is responsible for about 70 percent of the coffee produced in the country.  There are more than 100,000 coffee plantations in Minas Gerais, with an estimated 245,000 workers, most working informally, thus increasing the probability of their exploitation.  Sources indicate that forced labor in coffee is widespread in this state.  Intermediaries, called gatos, recruit workers from poorer neighboring states, and often lie about working conditions, wages, hours, and the quality of living conditions.  According to investigations, workers face up to 15-hour workdays, and often receive sub-minimum wage payments.  Reports also indicate that a number of workers face precarious and unsanitary housing accommodations with no access to potable water, and a lack of proper bathroom and cooking facilities.  Some workers report finding themselves in a debt spiral because they owe money to the plantation owners for food, their journey to the plantation, and even the equipment they must use during the harvest.  These debts incurred hinder the workers’ ability to leave the coffee plantations.  A number of workers also report fear of punishment for complaining about the poor conditions, or for speaking to outside sources about their work and living conditions.  Some workers have had their working papers or identity papers confiscated by their employer.

There are reports that children ages 5 to 17 cultivate coffee in Costa Rica. Based on an analysis by international organizations of the Government of Costa Rica’s National Household Survey (ENAHO) 2011, published in 2015, 8.8 percent of child laborers in the country, or approximately 1,422 children ages 5-14, were in child labor in coffee production in Costa Rica. The ENAHO 2011 counts as child labor all work performed by a child below age 15. In addition, the analysis indicates that 5.2 percent of working adolescents ages 15 to 17, or 1,625 adolescents, were also engaged in coffee production. The analysis noted that 78 percent of children and adolescents in child labor in Costa Rica work with their families. Although more recent national surveys have shown a 65 percent decrease in the number of children ages 12 to 17 working in agriculture from 13,866 in 2011 to 4,853 in 2015, these surveys do not provide the number of children in child labor in the coffee sector. Data from the 2016 ENAHO, which included a child labor module, is expected to be released in early 2017. 

Spanish Translation

There are reports that children ages 14-17 and younger in Côte d'Ivoire are forced to work on coffee plantations. Based on a research study, thousands of children are involved in this type of labor. Some children are forcibly recruited, or recruited through deceptive means, and transported to coffee plantations in Côte d'Ivoire from nearby countries including Benin, Mali, Togo, and Burkina Faso. These children are sold to traffickers. Other children leave their home countries or communities voluntarily, but end up in situations where they are not paid and have no means to return home. Some children are forced to work for three or four years before receiving payment or returning home. Others are forced to work, even if sick, and prevented from leaving the plantations through threat of physical violence, withheld payments, or denial of food. 

French Translation