It is important that companies like Hershey, Mars and Nestle publicly inform consumers about what specific supply chain management initiatives each of these companies is using to ensure that their cocoa sourcing respects worker rights.  You can send an e-mail to these companies here! 

We've heard a lot over the years about how these companies are working through industry associations, but ILRF has raised concerns about many of these programs.  For example, check out this letter ILRF wrote with other organizations and companies about the major companies' problematic child labor "certification" program.  By the way, the original Harkin-Engel Protocol required that a certification program be established to show that "cocoa beans and their derivative products have been grown and/or processed without the worst forms of child labor."  Now, the chocolate industry is saying that their best hopes for 2010 for the "certification process" they have set up is to "ideally, over time... indicate an improvement in the status of child and adult labor practices."

Last Valentine's Day, journalist Christian Parenti wrote a must-read article for Fortune magazine discussing the lack of progress the chocolate industry has been making on the ground in Cote d'Ivoire and specifically highlights problems with some projects funded by the International Cocoa Initiative and the World Cocoa Foundation.  I also highly recommend checking out Parenti's debate with Bill Guyton from the World Cocoa Foundation on Democracy Now.

This year, we want to get beyond the talking points we have been hearing to find out what Hershey, Mars and Nestle are doing individually to comply with international labor standards in their cocoa sourcing.  So, please show your love for cocoa farmers and send these companies an e-mail today!