Nestle has committed CHF 110m over the next 10 years to sustainability in the cocoa sector. Nestle is working with suppliers, NGOs and government agencies in programmes across the cocoa world.

In this partnership, which has run since 2006, ICI is supporting its usual community based approach working with all farm families not just those who are members of the cooperative.  The value of this collaboration is that the economic needs of farmers can be in part addressed by the investment with the cooperatives and the cooperatives will be trained to reinforce the messages on eliminating child labour.

In the last decade, while there have been positive changes and evidence of increased farmer incomes, improved educational opportunities, and fewer children exposed to unsafe farming tasks, labour practices on cocoa farms still remain an issue of considerable concern. Too many children are involved in hazardous farming tasks or work on farms instead of going to school.

As part of the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI), Nestlé has committed through its Cocoa Plan Initiative to help ICI ensuring that children in cocoa growing communities are not exploited and have access to education.

To learn more about what Nestle is doing, see www.thecocoaplan.com.