Child Labor

Most of World’s Chocolate Comes From Labor of 1.5 MILLION Children, Some as Young As FIVE – Study

A new study from the University of Chicago has revealed a rise in child labor in global cocoa production despite pledges by international companies to stop using cocoa harvested by children.

According to the study, commissioned by the US Department of Labor, more than two-fifths (43 percent) of all children aged between five and 17 in cocoa-growing regions of Ghana and Ivory Coast (the world’s largest cocoa producers) are engaged in hazardous work.

In total, an estimated 1.5 million children work in cocoa production around the world, half of whom are found in these two west African nations alone. The report said the hazardous work includes the use of sharp tools, working at night, and exposure to agrochemical products, among other harmful activities.

The overall proportion of children working has gone up by 14 percent in the past decade, said the report, noting that the increase was accompanied by a 62 percent rise in cocoa production over the same period. source