WHEREAS, forced child labor is endemic to cocoa production, particularly in major cocoa-producing West African nations such as Cote D’Ivoire (which provides 70 percent of the world’s cocoa supply), Ghana, and Mali; and
WHEREAS, almost 20 years ago, major chocolate producers like Mars, Nestle, and Cargill admitted that child forced labor was prevalent in their cocoa supply chains, and, despite public commitments to stop it, the percentage of forced child laborers in the cocoa supply chain continue to increase; and
WHEREAS, the use of forced child labor is a gross human rights violation that breaks international, domestic, and California law;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the California Democratic Party condemns Mars, Nestle, Cargill, and other major chocolate manufacturers for their continued use of child slave labor in their cocoa supply chains, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the California Democratic Party urges policymakers to pursue any and all efforts that will bring to an end the use of forced child labor in all chocolate manufacturing.
Author(s): Christopher Christensen, AD 17 Sponsored By: San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee, Organization, Nima Rahimi, AD 17, Leah LaCroix, AD 19, Kristen Webb, AD 17, Brandon Harami, AD 19, Shannon Ross, AD 70, David Campos, AD 17, Marisol Rubio, AD 16, Karima Lynch, AD 19
