Press Releases

On September 30, 2022, the Platform for Sustainable Cocoa in Developing Countries, for which the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is the Secretariat, released the "Action Plan to Eliminate Child Labour in the Cocoa Industry.”

The Platform for Sustainable Cocoa in Developing Countries (the Cocoa Platform) was launched in January 2020 with the goal of realizing a cocoa industry that is socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable. The Cocoa Platform is where diverse stakeholders can co-create and collaborate to solve issues facing the cocoa industry, such as poverty among farmers, deforestation, and child labour. So far 48 organizations and 94 individuals, including Japanese industry associations, food manufacturers, trading companies, NGOs, and consulting companies, have become members and are actively engaged in its activities (as of September 30, 2022). Within the Cocoa Platform, companies and NGOs that are particularly interested in solving the problem of child labour have formulated the "Action Plan to Eliminate Child Labour in the Cocoa Industry" (Action Plan).

• Action Plan to Eliminate Child Labour in the Cocoa Industry (only available in Japanese)

Amidst growing international concern about business and human rights, the Japanese government released the Guideline for Human Rights Due Diligences on September 13, 2022. Based on the guideline, the Cocoa Platform's Action Plan will be used as practical guidance for companies related to the cocoa industry to identify, prevent, and mitigate risks related to child labour, one of the human rights issues in their supply chains. 17 organizations (listed below), including chocolate manufacturers, trading companies involved in cocoa-bean supply chains, and NGOs, have expressed their support and willingness to promote the Action Plan.
As one of the actors promoting the Action Plan, JICA will contribute to the elimination of child labour in the cocoa industry through efforts such as the implementation of a project aimed at this goal in Ghana, the largest producer of cocoa beans imported by Japan. JICA will also actively disseminate information about these efforts via our website.

List of organizations that have expressed support (as of September 30, 2022)

Ishiyama-yuen LLC
Action against Child Exploitation
OWLS Consulting Group, Inc.
Confitera Co., Ltd.
Tachibana Inc.
Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting LLC
Chocolate and Cocoa Association of Japan
Fairtrade Label Japan
Barry Callebaut Japan Inc.
Fuji Oil Co., Ltd.
Meiji Holdings Co., Ltd.
Morinaga & Co., Ltd.
Yuraku Confectionery Co., Ltd.
Lots Co., Ltd.
Lotte Co., Ltd.
Romero Trade Co., Ltd.
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

The Cocoa Platform is looking forward to working with various partners to eliminate child labour.
For more information on the Cocoa Platform, please refer to the following page.

• The Platform for Sustainable Cocoa in Developing Countries | Projects - JICA (only available in Japanese)

The Secretariat of the Platform for Sustainable Cocoa in Developing Countries