Abusive child labor is a symptom directly related to the problems of poverty in the developing world. Mars is committed to the Harkin-Engel Protocol, which outlines a series of date-specific steps to ensure that cocoa is grown free from abusive child labor. Mars and our public-private partners believe that in order to meet this challenge we must go beyond the Protocol. Along with our industry partners, we are committed to refining and fully implementing a certification process and to improving the lives of West African cocoa farmers and their families. Teaching farmers sustainable growing practices will help to increase their economic return and address the range of problems related to poverty. As these improvements occur, living standards in cocoa-growing communities will improve and social issues such as abusive labor conditions will be more effectively addressed.

Mars is at the forefront of the industry effort to address abusive child labor. This effort includes working with the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI), The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) and other interested parties. Together, our goal is to fund programs in West Africa aimed at making a positive difference in the lives of cocoa farmers, their families, communities and the environment.

The steps we have taken so far to address cocoa growing conditions in West Africa are evidence of our long-term commitment to improve the well-being of millions of small farmers. For specific information about our commitment and our progress to date, please visit responsiblecocoa.org or worldcocoafoundation.org.