After increasing pressure, Nestle, the world’s largest food company, took a big risk when it commissioned the Fair Labor Association (FLA) to map and assess its cocoa supply chain in the Ivory Coast. This was the first time a multi-national chocolate producer has allowed its procurement system to be completely traced and evaluated and what they found wasn’t pretty. The FLA discovered “multiple serious violations” of the company’s own supplier code which includes clauses on child labour, safety and working hours. Though disconcerting, this assessment is vital to truly changing their supply chain and ultimately removing slavery completely.

FLA President Auret van Heerden said, “For too long child labour in cocoa production has been everybody’s problem and therefore nobody’s responsibility. Now that its supply chain has been mapped, Nestle will be held accountable. Nestle is taking direct responsibility for decreasing the risks.” The company has now laid out a detailed plan to try to solve the problem.

Nestle took that first step because people like YOU demanded products made without the use of forced labor. Continue to encourage your favorite companies to follow suit via the Slavery Footprint action center and our Free World App!

You can read the entire FLA-Nestle report here @ http://www.fairlabor.org/affiliate/nestle.

SOURCE: http://blog.slaveryfootprint.org/