20 Years After Harkin-Engel Protocol, Amount of Child Laborers in West Africa Increases

In Sept. 2001, industry representatives signed an agreement, developed along with Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin and Rep. Eliot Engel, to eliminate the worst forms of child labor in the cocoa and chocolate industry. The agreement was brought about by increasing media coverage describing the abusive conditions that West African children were forced to endure on cocoa plantations. Known as the Harkin-Engel Protocol, the agreement outlined a series of actions the industry would take that to give a public accounting of labor practices in cocoa farming with the goal of eliminating the worst forms of child labor. 

While the protocol seemed to be an important step in creating more ethical labor practices in the cocoa and chocolate industry, there was no incentive for these companies to take any action. The  non-binding agreement meant the cocoa industry would have to regulate itself without any legal threats, however, Engel did say he would reintroduce legislation if the deadlines were not met. This agreement was one of the first times an American industry was subjected to self-regulation and one of the first times self-regulation was used to address an international human rights issue.

By July 1 2005, the industry was supposed to have developed and implemented industry-wide standards of public certification that their cocoa was grown without any of the worst forms of child labor. As the July 1 deadline came and went, the extent of child involvement in cocoa production was unclear. 

Fast forward to the 10-year anniversary of the Harkin-Engel Protocol and a news article’s headline reads: “Ten Years, Little Progress: As Profits Soar, Chocolate Industry Fails To Deliver on Promises To End Forced and Child Labor on Cocoa Farms.” Household surveys and governmental research in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana showed that there were 1.8 million children working in cocoa agriculture in 2011. Only 5% in Côte d'Ivoire and 10% in Ghana worked for pay.

We have now reached the 20th anniversary of the protocol and the situation is even worse. This time, with the impacts of COVID-19, the news regarding child labor issues is much more sinister. According to The Economist, this is the first time since the signing of the Harkin-Engel Protocol that the number of child laborers in Africa has increased. In May of this year, police in Côte d'Ivoire rescued 68 children working on cocoa farms - a small share of the approximately 790,000 children working in cocoa production in the country alone. A June report from the International Labour Organization (ILO) states that the number of child laborers has risen to 160 million  - an increase of 8.4 million over the past four years. The report also points to a significant rise in the number of children aged 5 to 11. 

The now 20-year-old agreement that was supposed to eliminate child slavery on West African cocoa plantations is obviously not enough. It is clearer than ever that the cocoa and chocolate industries need to make a change.

How to get involved:

Slavefreechocolate.org outlines a few ways to take action. 

Sign this Moveon.org petition calling for large chocolate manufacturers around the world to stop using child labor in their products.