NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Nestlé (www.Nestle.com) announced a new plan to tackle child labor risks in cocoa production. At the center is an innovative income accelerator program, which aims to improve the livelihoods of cocoa-farming families, while also advancing regenerative agriculture practices and gender equality. A cash incentive will be paid directly to cocoa-farming households for certain activities such as enrollment of children in school and pruning among several others. Nestlé’s new plan also supports the company’s work to transform its global sourcing of cocoa to achieve full traceability and segregation for its cocoa products. As Nestlé continues to expand its cocoa sustainability efforts, the company plans to invest a total of CHF 1.3 billion by 2030, more than tripling its current annual investment.

According to Mauricio Alarcon, Market Head of Nestlé Central and West Africa, “Child Labor is unacceptable. We are committed to working closely with key stakeholders to ensure that this novel approach will help address its root causes and support farmers and their families to transition to more sustainable cocoa farming in communities where we operate. Through this new plan, we will extend our cocoa sustainability initiatives to other parts of Central and West Africa”.

Photo courtesy of Irene Scott / AusAID / Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.