Letter from Sen. Harkin and Rep. Engel Assessing Progress to Date
Since 2001, the global chocolate and cocoa industry has worked with U.S. Senator Tom Harkin and U.S. Representative Eliot Engel to ensure cocoa is grown responsibly, without unacceptable child labor. Harkin and Engel led the establishment of a global, industry-wide agreement, now known as the “Harkin Engel Protocol,” to tackle this issue.
Among the key elements of the Protocol: the development of a certification process for cocoa farming labor practices. Certification will improve the well-being of children on cocoa farms through a continual process of data collection on labor practices; reporting; in-country response programs to address any issues raised in the reporting, and independent verification to ensure credibility.
Recently, Senator Harkin and Representative Engel sent a letter to the industry, sharing their assessment of progress to date and their goals for the near future. The letter – addressed to the head of an ad hoc industry working group leading efforts to address labor issues on cocoa farms – can be accessed here.