The Cocoa Abrabopa Association (CAA) has partnered with Mars Wrigley, Sucden and ASCOT Amsterdam and the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) to set up an Integrated and Supportive Child Labour Monitoring and Remediation System (CLMRS) in the CAA’s cocoa supply chain.
CAA acknowledges there are risks of child labour and forced labour in the cocoa supply chain as evidenced by the recent NORC report.
Cocoa Abrabopa Association believes it is important to make sure that robust systems are in place to prevent, monitor and remediate the risks within its supply chain. CAA does not have the capacity currently to do this alone, therefore, partnering with customers, supply chain actors and International Cocoa Initiative is a great idea.
With the technical support and guidance of the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI), Cocoa Abrabopa Association (CAA) will train its staff, design, and set up a robust Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation System (CLMRS) for the Association.
As part of the set-up, a diagnostic assessment will be conducted by International Cocoa Initiative to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of CAA with regard to its processes to monitor and remediate human rights risks in its cocoa supply chain.
The CLMRS would start with a detailed household survey for cocoa producers’ members of CAA and a community profiling for communities in the selected areas. This data would be analyzed to identify child labour cases, determine households at risk of child labour and communities vulnerable to child labour and which support is needed.
The newly employed Child Development Officers will conduct a number of activities on a daily basis in the communities to identify children who are engaged or at a risk to be engaged in child labour activities. These would include household visits, community profile surveys, awareness-raising sessions at household level and community level, unannounced farm visits, deployment of needed remediation activities to support children and their families, and the communities they live in.
The Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation System will guide Cocoa Abrabopa Association to provide support to member families and communities where needed and it will also focus on increasing school attendance as a key strategy to protect children and ensure their healthy development.
