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Mars Wrigley, a partner, and board member of the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI), has released its 2020 Cocoa for Generations report which includes a Protecting Children Action Plan, detailing the company’s roadmap for tackling child labour and supporting farming communities.
Mars’ Protecting Children Action Plan is based on four key areas:
- Robust monitoring and remediation systems: ICI is supporting Mars implement Child Labour Monitoring and Remediation Systems in their supply chain to identify and address cases of child labour. The Cocoa for Generations report notes that 51% of the total volume of cocoa from at-risk areas came from farming cooperatives where CLMRS are present. Mars has committed to expanding CLMRS to cover 100% of children at risk by 2025.
- Quality education and development opportunities: Mars is also supporting the Transforming Education in Cocoa Communities programme, in line with growing understanding of the positive benefits of quality education to children’s long-term development and opportunities.
- Empowering women: Mars plan to empower women and boost their social and economic position in communities through Village Savings and Loans Associations. The company is aiming to reach 50,000 women in cocoa communities in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana by 2025.
- Increasing income: Mars is also running pilot projects to diversify household income, by supporting the development of other cash crops, and increase productivity to benefit farming households.
ICI is encouraged by Mars’ commitment to scaling up effective systems to prevent and address child labour in its cocoa supply chain and to support efforts to boost cocoa farmers’ livelihoods.
Access the Cocoa for Generations report
Access the Protecting Children Action Plan