World-renowned chocolate company Hershey's Co. has decided to begin using only certified cocoa from 2020. The move comes after much criticism and is an attempt to help lower child labor in West African countries, The Associated Press reports.
The decision will also help increase the global supply of certified cocoa and improve the well-being of cocoa farmers in West Africa, particularly Cote d'Ivoire, which accounts for 70 percent of the cocoa in the global market, AP adds.
Hershey's has pledged $10 million to the cause.
"Consistent with Hershey's values, we are directly addressing the economic and social issues that impact West Africa's two million cocoa farmers and families," J.P. Bilbrey, company president and chief executive officer, said in a statement. "I am confident that we can make a substantial difference in West Africa by 2020."
Hershey's has been beset with letters and criticism from human rights groups for quite some time, urging the company to switch to using certified cocoa. Some products, including Hershey's Dagoba Organic Chocolate, are made with certified cocoa from the Rainforest Alliance. Hershey Bliss will soon be made of certified cocoa as well.
Competitors, Mars and Ferrero, have long been using certified cocoa in all their products. Hershey's, which was beginning to lag behind the competition, has surprised its critics with this decision, but is being welcomed. Hershey "seemed impervious to public pressure," Antonie Fountain, director of Stop the Traffik Netherlands, told Confectionery News. He added that the use of certified cocoa will only prove beneficial for the farming families in West Africa.
According to the International Labor Rights Forum, more than 109,000 children work in the cocoa industry of Cote d'Ivoire, but according to the U.S. Department of Labor, the figure stands around 802,000. Many believe that if major chocolate manufacturers begin using certified cocoa, the global cocoa supply could be cleaned up pretty quickly, AP reports.
