Our History
The ICI was established in 2002 as a result of a groundswell of opinion urging the chocolate industry to ensure child and forced labour were not used in the production of their products. Campaigners lobbied the cocoa industry and in September 2001, an international protocol to eliminate the worst forms of child and forced labour in the growing and processing of cocoa beans was signed in Washington, D.C. Signatories to the Harkin/Engel Protocol include governments and representatives of the cocoa industry while witnesses include social activists, NGOs and labour unions.
In addition to committing publicly to ending abusive labour practices, the agreement stipulated the establishment of a foundation, the ICI, to begin the work necessary to bring about change. A partnership between NGOs, trade unions and the chocolate industry -- and funded by industry -- the ICI was established in 2002 under Swiss law.
Since its establishment, the ICI has worked with a broad range of stakeholders – from farmers to consumers groups – to identify the most efficient and effective methods to end abusive labour practices in cocoa growing.
In 2004, the ICI launched pilot projects in several communities in Ghana and the Ivory Coast. These programmes are designed so communities take the lead in creating and implementing action plans, including initiatives that draw on existing educational and rural development programs. This pilot ensures cocoa communities themselves determine which activities best support responsible labour practices and meet their needs.
Given the complexity of the issues, there isn’t a "one-size-fits-all" solution however strong common themes have emerged. Based on our pilot project, ICI is able to offer a best-practice approach that can, over time, be adopted by local institutions across cocoa-producing countries. ICI does not promote unsustainable or unrealistic solutions nor do we seek to solve the many development problems that exist in cocoa communities. Our focus is narrow but we are confident it is effective.
ICI is now beginning the work to expand to the scale necessary to affect greater change. Our pilot projects and initiatives to date have demonstrated visible change and allow us to pursue innovation and replicate success. Equally, ICI’s projects help to inform the broader debate while ensuring the voices of children and cocoa farmers are heard. Ultimately, however, our projects must be linked to long-term, large-scale change in the sector as a whole. ICI is working to ensure solutions are embedded in government policy making and development planning and, perhaps most importantly, are supported by changing practices in industry.
In addition to committing publicly to ending abusive labour practices, the agreement stipulated the establishment of a foundation, the ICI, to begin the work necessary to bring about change. A partnership between NGOs, trade unions and the chocolate industry -- and funded by industry -- the ICI was established in 2002 under Swiss law.
Since its establishment, the ICI has worked with a broad range of stakeholders – from farmers to consumers groups – to identify the most efficient and effective methods to end abusive labour practices in cocoa growing.
In 2004, the ICI launched pilot projects in several communities in Ghana and the Ivory Coast. These programmes are designed so communities take the lead in creating and implementing action plans, including initiatives that draw on existing educational and rural development programs. This pilot ensures cocoa communities themselves determine which activities best support responsible labour practices and meet their needs.
Given the complexity of the issues, there isn’t a "one-size-fits-all" solution however strong common themes have emerged. Based on our pilot project, ICI is able to offer a best-practice approach that can, over time, be adopted by local institutions across cocoa-producing countries. ICI does not promote unsustainable or unrealistic solutions nor do we seek to solve the many development problems that exist in cocoa communities. Our focus is narrow but we are confident it is effective.
ICI is now beginning the work to expand to the scale necessary to affect greater change. Our pilot projects and initiatives to date have demonstrated visible change and allow us to pursue innovation and replicate success. Equally, ICI’s projects help to inform the broader debate while ensuring the voices of children and cocoa farmers are heard. Ultimately, however, our projects must be linked to long-term, large-scale change in the sector as a whole. ICI is working to ensure solutions are embedded in government policy making and development planning and, perhaps most importantly, are supported by changing practices in industry.
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