VOICE response to latest NORC research on child labour in the cocoa sector

The VOICE Network critiques the cocoa industry's reliance on voluntary measures to address child labour in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, citing NORC research that 1.5 million children are involved in production. The network argues that poverty is the primary driver and advocates for mandatory due diligence regulations, living incomes for farming families, and increased government investment in education and healthcare.

• Research from the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) indicates that 1.5 million children are working in cocoa production across Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, with 95% of these children exposed to the worst forms of child labour, including the use of harmful pesticides and dangerous tools.
• Child labour in the cocoa sector has not been significantly reduced over two decades because industry efforts have been entirely voluntary, resulting in no consequences for companies that fail to meet their promises.
• Child labourers report significant health issues: over 40% feel very tired or exhausted, one third experience very bad pain, 25% feel very sick, and 10% required medical centre treatment.
• While industry-commissioned interventions can reduce child labour by approximately 30%, the VOICE Network asserts that the problem will persist unless the industry ensures a living income for cocoa farming families to address the root cause of poverty.
• The VOICE Network advocates for a transition to mandatory due diligence regulations covering human rights and environmental harms, alongside government-led improvements in education and healthcare infrastructure in cocoa-producing nations.

APA

Jones, S. (2020). VOICE response to latest NORC research on child labour in the cocoa sector. Mighty Earth. https://mightyearth.org/article/voice-response-to-latest-norc-research-on-child-labour-in-the-cocoa-sectoresponse-to-latest-norc-research-on-child-labour-in-the-cocoa-sector/

Chicago

Jones, Sydney. VOICE response to latest NORC research on child labour in the cocoa sector. Mighty Earth, 2020. https://mightyearth.org/article/voice-response-to-latest-norc-research-on-child-labour-in-the-cocoa-sectoresponse-to-latest-norc-research-on-child-labour-in-the-cocoa-sector/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Jones |first1=Sydney |title=VOICE response to latest NORC research on child labour in the cocoa sector |publisher=Mighty Earth |date=19 November 2020 |url=https://mightyearth.org/article/voice-response-to-latest-norc-research-on-child-labour-in-the-cocoa-sectoresponse-to-latest-norc-research-on-child-labour-in-the-cocoa-sector/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{jones2020voice, author = {Jones, Sydney}, title = {{VOICE response to latest NORC research on child labour in the cocoa sector}}, publisher = {Mighty Earth}, year = {2020}, month = nov, url = {https://mightyearth.org/article/voice-response-to-latest-norc-research-on-child-labour-in-the-cocoa-sectoresponse-to-latest-norc-research-on-child-labour-in-the-cocoa-sector/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }