Resources

The Cocoa Barometer 2018 provides an overview of the current sustainability developments in the cocoa sector and highlights critical issues that are not receiving sufficient attention at present.

Child labour is prevalent in cocoa-producing regions of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. In most cases, the children are working within the family unit and not earning an income. Poverty, lack of affordable labour and lack of post-primary educational opportunities are among the main reasons why children are engaged in child labour. By providing labour services at an affordable rate below market price, Community Service Groups are providing cocoa farmers with an alternative to child labour.

In Ghana’s cocoa-growing communities, older children aged 15 to 17 are most at risk of hazardous child labour. Limited opportunities to attend senior secondary school or Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) mean that older children instead engage in cocoa farming, where they are at risk of hazardous child labour involvement. Higher levels of educational attainment play a critical role in reducing both child labour and household poverty.

The United States Department of Labor has issued its report on the Worst Forms of Child Labour in Ghana. In 2017, Ghana made a moderate advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labour.

This report presents results from an evaluation of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty cash transfer programme, conducted in several regions of Ghana.