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Child labour is the chocolate industry’s worst kept secret

Since the late 1990s, we’ve seen news reports and read articles exposing child labour in the cocoa industry.

We’ve heard about six-year-olds carrying heavy loads of cocoa beans¹; ten-year-olds leaving their schooling behind to work on cocoa farms² and using machetes to harvest the beans³; and twelve-year-olds spraying harmful pesticides without proper safety equipment⁴.

Yet despite knowing about cocoa’s child labour problem, and despite the industry’s multiple promises to resolve it, 25 years down the track it persists.

The last estimates suggested over 1.5 million children were engaged in child labour on cocoa farms in West Africa⁵. That’s more than all the children living in New Zealand. And that was almost half of all children living in agricultural households in cocoa growing areas in West Africa⁶.

The last estimates suggested over 1.5 million children were engaged in child labour on cocoa farms in West Africa. The child in the photograph is an actor. Photo: iStock or Shutterstock

When helping out becomes harmful

Not all work done by children is considered child labour.

Many of us grew up helping in the garden, feeding animals, or doing household chores — tasks that taught us responsibility, hard work and teamwork. In agricultural families, it’s common for children to lend a hand in safe and age-appropriate ways that don’t interfere with their education or well-being. Many of us also had part-time jobs as teenagers, working Saturdays or after school to help our families, or save for something special.

But there’s a point when it becomes harmful for children to work. The International Labour Organization describes child labour as work that "deprives children of their childhood, their potential, and their dignity, and is harmful to their physical and mental development."

The line varies from country to country; and sector to sector. A common definition used when it comes to cocoa farming in West Africa suggests this line is crossed when a child works too many hours for their stage of development⁷.

+ For a 13-year-old, that’s more than 14 hours per week.

+ For a 16-year-old, that’s more than 43 hours per week.

It’s also considered child labour when children are asked to do dangerous work – long shifts, working at night, carrying really heavy loads, or using hazardous chemicals or tools without safety protections. In 2020, 1.48 million children were estimated to have been exposed to at least one component of hazardous child labour in cocoa production in West Africa⁸. Of those, almost a quarter were exposed to harmful pesticides, and at risk of respiratory issues, skin problems, or impacting long-term development⁹.

Why does child labour persist? The short answer: poverty and low pay

Most of the world’s cocoa is grown and harvested on small, independent farms. These cocoa farmers sell their beans to a middleman who on-sells larger volumes from across the region to cocoa traders. But often the money farmers make is not enough to cover the costs of labour and production, let alone enough to support their family.

Ghana produces 15% of the world’s cocoa, but it was estimated in 2021 that up to 90% Ghanian cocoa farmers weren’t earning a living income¹⁰. This means they weren’t earning enough from their crops to cover their families’ basic needs - rent, food, water, healthcare, education - with a small amount left over for emergencies.

Moreover, it was estimated that between 30%-58% of Ghanian cocoa farmers were living on less than NZ$3.33 a day – below The World Bank’s International Extreme Poverty Line¹¹.

With extremely low incomes, rising living costs, climate impacts, fluctuating demand, and growing production costs¹², many cocoa farmers face tough choices: send their child to school or send them to work so the family can make essential ends meet. It’s not really a choice.

We know that education is often a crucial step towards overcoming intergenerational poverty, and yet children’s futures are often the necessary cost of short-term survival.

Many chocolate companies are thriving, so why are cocoa farmers struggling? Photo: Unsplash

Many large chocolate companies are thriving, so why are cocoa farmers struggling?

Being able to provide for your family is a basic human right. Living incomes are also a crucial step towards addressing a number of the cocoa industry’s most persistent problems.

Yet, despite the fact almost all companies on the scorecard describe living incomes as a human right, only 16% of farmers in their cocoa supply chains were confirmed to be receiving one¹³.

Addressing farmer poverty is complex and requires systemic solutions. There are important measures like climate-smart agricultural practices that boost productivity and crop diversification. There’s a need for better access to schooling, particularly in rural areas, and support for land tenure.

Chocolate companies also need to pay higher prices for cocoa; and governments of producing countries need to ensure the funds make it to the farmer. In Cote d’Ivoire, farmgate prices are set by the government and currently this is less than the prices on the international trade market and less than what farmers should be paid for their cocoa to have enough for a decent income.

Whilst cocoa prices have risen drastically in the last year, in many cases it’s not the farmer that receives the benefits. Climate pressures are leading to decreased cocoa production, so whilst cocoa prices are going up, farmers have less to sell.

To quote our friends at Be Slavery Free, “There are no simple answers, but there is a simple question: Why is it that revenue in the Chocolate Confectionary Market amounts to US$140 billion in 2025—and yet so many cocoa farmers live in poverty?”

These massive chocolate companies have the power—and the profits—to drive real change. The question is, will they?

Want to join the movement for change? Check out the Chocolate Scorecard to help you make informed choices and let companies know that you care.

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