An investigation by CBS News has uncovered distressing child labor cases in Ghana’s cocoa industry, a supplier for Mars.
Mars is the candy company responsible for favorites like M&Ms and Snickers.
The investigation discovered children as young as five using machetes to harvest cocoa beans in scorching conditions.
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They worked for small subsistence farms across Ghana’s remote cocoa belt.
Mars company had pledged to eradicate child labor from its supply chain by 2025.
It had previously claimed to rescue thousands of children through a robust monitoring system.
But it now faces scrutiny as CBS News obtained whistleblower-provided lists that contradict these claims.
Brother and sister have been working since the age of five
The lists, meant to keep children away from cocoa plantations and in schools, include names of children still actively working in the fields.
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Among the affected children is 15-year-old Munira, who started working in cocoa fields aged just five.
The teenager faces limited educational opportunities due to her family’s poverty.
Despite promises of support from field supervisors contracted by Mars, there has been no follow-up to ensure Munira’s school attendance, reflecting a lack of effective monitoring.
The CBS News probe sheds light on Munira and her 12-year-old brother Gafalo’s challenges.
Both were compelled to work in the fields due to her family’s desperate need for money.
The revelations are particularly damning as they contradict Mars’ claims of implementing measures to eliminate child labor.
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A cocoa field supervisor, speaking anonymously, confirmed the data used to compile them is often inaccurate.
They said it is sometimes fabricated under pressure, with minimal verification by the companies involved.
CBS News interviewed several children listed as beneficiaries.
It found none were attending school regularly, revealing a discrepancy between Mars’ assertions and the ground reality.
The report extends beyond field observations and delves into cocoa warehouses in Ghana that supply Mars.
An employee, while acknowledging child labor as an offense in the country, couldn’t assure that all cocoa handled at the facility was produced without child labor.
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Lawsuit has been launched
Human rights lawyer Terry Collingsworth has filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against Mars.
The suit alleges consumer fraud and collecting statements from Ghanaian children engaged in hazardous work.
CBS News, during its investigation, witnessed hazardous conditions, including a child almost losing fingers to a machete blade.
Collingsworth said: “They’re telling the public that we’re rehabilitating this kid, and then they’re cynically coming here and just checking a box and the kid is back working the next day.”
Mars’ response
Mars unequivocally condemns the use of child labor. It has no place in our supply chain, and we are fully committed to helping to eradicate it.
Despite our repeated requests, CBS did not provide specific details of their investigation to Mars ahead of their broadcast, which meant that we were unable to look into the allegations raised in their program.
We are now urgently investigating the claims made in the broadcast and are ready to take appropriate action against any supplier found not to have met our expectations laid out in our Supplier Code of Conduct.
Our cocoa suppliers in Ghana have agreed to adhere to our robust Supplier Code of Conduct and we have also been clear that they must have a Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation System (CLMRS) in place by 2025 that complies with the industry leading International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) standard.
Over 65% of our cocoa supply in West Africa is already covered by CLMRS which is implemented by our suppliers on the ground, with audits conducted by certification bodies as part of Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade certification requirements.
We have a robust Protecting Children Action Plan in place that is backed by a significant financial investment totaling hundreds of millions of dollars over the coming years.
We are also transparent in saying that we know that more needs to be done and we continue to work diligently with parties across the cocoa sector to further help advance respect for human rights in the cocoa supply chain.
