Chocolate and child slaves
Seriously readers will be delighted to hear that Nestlé – the world’s most boycotted company – has been taking its corporate social responsibilities very ‘seriously’.
This is good news for those of you who’ve been concerned about recent revelations of child slavery and child labour being in widespread use in Côte d’Ivoire’s cocoa industry (where 50 per cent of the world’s cocoa is produced). A recently announced legal action against Nestlé brought on behalf of children in Côte d’Ivoire had some commentators worried that the world’s largest food corporation’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) commitments were just a marketing ploy.
But thankfully the Swiss company has set the record straight, proving once again that it is an ethical, caring and child-friendly teddy bear of a transnational.
In response to the legal action brought by the International Labour Rights Fund using US legislation on ‘crimes against humanity’, Nestlé did not deny that child slavery was used to produce some of the raw materials for KitKats (which the kiddies just love!). In its legal defence it argued, rather, that child slavery is not a ‘crime against humanity’. It also responsibly decided not to attend an investigation into child slavery in the cocoa industry called by US Senator Horkins a few weeks ago. Nestlé opted instead to sponsor two fringe events at the Labour Party conference in Britain coinciding with the 200th anniversary of the country’s abolition of the slave trade.
CSR watchers around the world rejoiced.
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Voices from the margins:
Multimedia: video, podcasts, and more.
- Poetry Slam in Zimbabwe
- The House of Hunger poetry slam held in Zimbabwe in 2006, and organised by the Pamberi Trust, showcased young artists performing inspirational work on issues from corporate power to child soldiers. The video features four of the poets.
Published by Pambazuka News.
- Iranian women speak out
- 3 March 2007, London. Women's rights activists marched through the English capital last week to celebrate International Women's Day with a protest against the misogyny of the Islamic regime in Iran and the threat of invasion by the US. Hear the voices of Iranian feminists Azar and Leila Parnian and the sounds of the demonstration as it passed through the heart of the city. Click here to learn more about the campaign.
Produced by Heidi Bachram.
- Raised Voices audio:
- Benny from West Papua on Corporate Power
- Vinayan from India on agriculture
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