Child labour continues to plague the chocolate industry in Ghana, as the latest Chocolate Scorecard reveals the prevalence of child exploitation.
Development Diaries reports that the industry is still grappling with child labour, deforestation, and climate change, with the main driving force being farmer poverty, according to the 2024 Chocolate Scorecard.
The scorecard, which evaluates the sustainability practices of chocolate companies, revealed that many companies are still struggling to address these issues effectively.
Child labour is a significant problem in Ghana, affecting almost two million children, according to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
‘Many chocolate companies continue to rely on unsustainable practices, such as deforestation and child labour, in their cocoa supply chains’, Managing Campaigner of EcoCare, Obed Owusu-Addai, said in a statement.
Child labour rates in Ghana have increased slightly over the last ten years. In the last two years, the government has made moderate advancements in its fight against child labour, including meaningful efforts to reduce its worst forms through laws, policies, or social programmes. However, no statistics show empirical results of these efforts yet.
Children involved in child labour continue to experience physical harm, a decreased quality of education, and poverty at higher rates.
Development Diaries calls on the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in Ghana to collaborate with other stakeholders to address the exploitation of children in the chocolate industry.
Photo source: John Atherton
