By Seli Baisie
Child and forced labour in Ghana’s cocoa-growing communities continue to pose a serious threat to the well-being of children, undermining their mental, physical, and emotional development, according to the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI).
The International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) is a multi-stakeholder organisation working to eliminate child labour and protect children’s rights in cocoa-growing communities.
At the heart of its mission is a firm commitment to putting the best interests of the child first, regardless of their ability, ethnicity, faith, gender, sexuality, or cultural background.
Child and forced labour continue to be a major global challenge. It is estimated that about 138 million children are involved in child labour worldwide, with around 54 million engaged in hazardous work that puts their health, safety, and development at risk. Sub-Saharan Africa is the most affected region, representing almost two-thirds of the global total, with approximately 87 million children involved.
To tackle this, ICI is working to create and promote a safe, secure, and supportive environment for children, ensuring they are protected from exploitation and harmful practices that could compromise their futures.
Katie Bird, Communications Director of the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI), stated that child labour is not merely a labour rights issue but a violation of children’s fundamental rights, with far-reaching consequences for their growth and future.
“Child labour is defined as anything that causes harm to a child,” Katie said. “The key is that it affects their mental, physical, and emotional development. What we really want to do is give children and cocoa farming families a better future.”
She made these remarks at a two-day experience-sharing workshop for selected journalists in Kumasi.
Katie Bird explained that the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) works with industry actors, governments of cocoa-producing and consuming countries, farming communities, and the media to tackle child labour more effectively.
She stressed that journalists, in particular, have a vital role to play in shaping public discourse and influencing policy through their reporting.
“One of the reasons we organised this training was to engage with members of the media who focus on agriculture, cocoa, and child labour, and to discuss the challenges they face,” she noted. “We hope journalists leave feeling more equipped and informed so they can become agents of change.”
According to her, significant progress has been made over the past two decades in understanding the root causes of child labour and developing strategies to address them.
Key interventions, she said, include improving access to quality education, enhancing school infrastructure, increasing household income through alternative livelihoods, and promoting women’s empowerment.
“We now know much more about what works,” Bird explained. “But with increased cocoa production, there are also more cocoa-growing households, and therefore more children at risk. It is crucial that we double down on our efforts.”
She also underscored the importance of continued collaboration between stakeholders and called for sustained media attention on the issue. “This is an incredibly important topic, and it deserves to remain in the public eye,” Katie said. “We also want to highlight the positive stories and progress being made.”
The ICI continues to advocate for a coordinated, evidence-based approach to eliminating child labour in the cocoa sector, ensuring that every child enjoys the right to a safe, healthy, and fulfilling childhood.
