Submitted by crinadmin on
Summary: Activists have protested Hershey in Times Square, calling on the chocolate giant to stop using child labour in its cocoa supply chain.
[14 June 2011] - Hershey has been targeted by US protestors who accuse the confectionary company of failing to eliminate "exploitative child labour" from its cocoa production supply chain. The company's store in Times Square, New York, has been picketed by a group of "hundreds" of students and "concerned consumers", it has been reported. Human rights activist Kerry Kennedy spoke at the rally, joining Lee Cutler, secretary treasurer of New York State United Teachers Union, as well as students, teachers and musical performers from the New York City area. "The illegal use of child labour in chocolate production by Hershey and other chocolate-makers must stop," said Kennedy, president of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. "With this rally in Times Square, we are making sure that these companies hear that chocolate produced by children is a crime." The protect group called on Hershey to take stronger action to end alleged labour rights violations and to start using Fair Trade Certified cocoa. Green America fair trade coordinator Elizabeth O'Connell, said: "We are sending Hershey the message that it needs to make larger commitments to remove forced and child labor from its chocolate products." International Labour Rights Forum campaigns director Tim Newman added: "As World Day against Child Labour approaches this weekend, Hershey continues to lag behind its competitors in independently certifying that its cocoa is not produced by abusive child labour and forced labour. After ten years of broken promises, it's time for Hershey to make firm commitments to sourcing Fair Trade Certified cocoa." Further Information:
pdf: http://www.procurementleaders.com/news/latestnews/2405-cocoa-supply-chain/