December, 07 2009, 10:18am EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Tim Newman, tim.newman@ilrf.org, 202-347-4100 x113 or 617-823-9464
Todd Larsen, toddlarsen@GreenAmericaToday.org, 202-872-5310
Adrienne Fitch-Frankel, Adrienne@globalexchange.org, 415-255-7296
Paul Hong-Lange, paul@oasisusa.org, 626-584-0800
Organizations Question Nestle's Commitment to Fair Trade Cocoa
Nestle SA announced today that it would begin to source Fair Trade
Certified cocoa for its Kit Kat bars in the United
Kingdom and Ireland.
WASHINGTON
Nestle SA announced today that it would begin to source Fair Trade
Certified cocoa for its Kit Kat bars in the United
Kingdom and Ireland.
Since stories about the use of child, forced and trafficked labor and
the widespread poverty among farmers in West Africa's cocoa industry
surfaced in 2001, organizations in the United States and around the world have
been campaigning to convince major chocolate companies, especially Nestle, to
commit to sourcing Fair Trade Certified cocoa. A lawsuit filed in 2005 in US
courts against Nestle on behalf of Malian children who were trafficked to Cote d'Ivoire
to harvest cocoa is still ongoing.
While Nestle's announcement may be a very small step toward
supporting a more sustainable and labor-friendly system of cocoa sourcing, the
company's history and practices around the world raise questions about its
commitment to Fair Trade. Additionally, Nestle has not announced any plans to
use Fair Trade Certified cocoa in its products in the United States.
Nestle is one of the most boycotted companies in the world. Trade
unions have criticized the company for a range of labor rights abuses including
in Colombia, Hong Kong, India,
Indonesia, the Philippines and Tunisia. Nestle has also been a
target of campaigners concerned about its impact on access to water and baby
food marketing, among many other issues.
Nestle's minimal investment in Fair Trade Certified coffee also provides
reason to be skeptical about its commitment. Nestle's Fair Trade line is
only a marginal part of its coffee products and it has not increased its
purchasing of Fair Trade coffee despite its promises to do so. In October
2009, Nestle launched a new program related to their global cocoa sourcing
called "The Cocoa Plan" which does not include investing in Fair
Trade cocoa, suggesting that the company does not intend to shift toward more
equitable trading relationships through the Fair Trade system and it is unclear
if Nestle plans to expand Fair Trade cocoa beyond the UK.
Bama
Athreya,
Executive Director of the International Labor Rights Forum, said,
"Nestle cannot claim to be sourcing responsible cocoa by using a small
amount of Fair Trade Certified cocoa when the majority of its cocoa could be
produced by forced labor and child labor. As the largest food company in the
world, Nestle must make a stronger commitment to protecting worker rights in
its cocoa supply chain as well as in its production facilities and in the
sourcing of other agricultural products."
Todd Larsen, Corporate Responsibility
Programs Director at Green America, said, "We urge
Nestle to go beyond this token commitment to Fair Trade and to take steps to end
all sourcing from child labor and pay a living wage to its workers worldwide. Consumers
the world over are increasingly concerned that their chocolate purchases are
supporting slavery and misery, and are increasingly purchasing Fair Trade
chocolate as a result. They will be looking to Nestle to do far more to
support farmers worldwide."
Adrienne Fitch-Frankel, Fair Trade
Campaign Director at Global Exchange, said, "While we
thank Nestle on behalf of the thousands of cocoa farming families who will
begin to thrive by receiving the Fair Trade price for their cocoa, we also ask,
'How can Nestle leave so many thousands of children languishing in child
slavery and abusive labor conditions, and keep so many farming families mired
in poverty while growing cocoa for the rest of Nestle's
products?' Nestle's profits depend on the hard work of cocoa
farmers, and justice will only be done when those farmers can live in dignity."
Paul Hong-Lange, Director of Oasis
USA, said, "This step by Nestle guarantees that no
slave labor or exploitation will be used in the production of one line of
chocolate in one region of the world. This is a good start but it still leaves
the conscientious American wondering if Nestle chocolate on the shelf in their grocery
store is tainted with slave labor. We urge Nestle to do better by more farmers
and more consumers."
Over 60 organizations and chocolate companies have endorsed a
"Commitment to Ethical Cocoa Sourcing" that sets a higher standard
for sustainable and responsible cocoa sourcing than Nestle. The commitment can
be found online: https://www.laborrights.org/stop-child-labor/cocoa-campaign/resources/10656.
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