Independent Verification
From the start of its work, the chocolate and cocoa industry understood that the certification process would only be effective if it can be trusted. Success depends upon transparency and credibility.
That is why the certification process for cocoa farming includes independent verification. A robust verification component will ensure that the information contained in each country’s cocoa certification reports is accurate, providing an honest assessment of labor conditions on the ground. It will also ensure the credibility of any certification efforts to track the effectiveness of programs to tackle labor issues.
In June, 2007, industry engaged Verité, an independent, non-profit social auditing and research organization, to help develop an independent verification component for the cocoa farming certification process. Verité's work led to the formation of the International Cocoa Verification Board (ICVB). This board, composed of one representative each from the governments of Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, two representatives from industry and five representatives from civil society, will oversee -- but not influence -- the independent verification work.
Industry has committed $2 million to fund the ICVB's work during the balance of 2008.
In line with their mandate, the ICVB recently selected two expert organizations, FAFO AIS from Norway and Khulisa Management Services from South Africa, to undertake verification of the certification data collection process in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, including visits to cocoa farms in the regions covered by the previously completed data collection efforts and certification reports. The verifiers will issue an interim report to the ICVB by July of 2008, with a final report expected by the end of the year.
All information relating to the ICVB's work can be found at www.cocoaverification.net. The site includes an interactive tool that allows stakeholders globally to submit feedback to the Board.