In the News

Cocoa suppliers won't be named

The Patriot-News
04/19/2006

Excerpt from article:

The Hershey Co. won't have to disclose its cocoa suppliers, shareholders overwhelmingly voted yesterday.

Global Exchange, a nonprofit human rights organization based in San Francisco, wanted Hershey to disclose the suppliers to determine if the company might be exposed to some risk because it purchased cocoa from companies that have been named in a federal lawsuit over child slavery conditions on West African cocoa farms.

Statement for Hershey Shareholders Meeting

International Labor Rights Forum
04/12/2006

By Bama Athreya

Good afternoon, ladies and gentleman. My name is Bama Athreya and I am here to deliver a statement on behalf of Global Exchange, a nonprofit human rights advocacy organization based in San Francisco, California. We have brought forward a resolution to urge the company to provide greater transparency to its shareholders regarding its cocoa supply chain. I would like to urge you all to vote in favor of this resolution.

INTERVIEW-Cocoa users must help fight child labour - Ivory Coast

Reuters
04/07/2006

Excerpt from article: 

In mid-2005, the Washington-based International Labor Rights Fund filed a lawsuit in a U.S. court against three companies -- Nestle , Archer Daniels Midland and Cargill -- it says share responsibility in the trafficking, torture and forced labour of children who cultivate cocoa in Ivory Coast.

The three companies have contested the case.

N'Djore said one of the major factors behind the use of child labour by cocoa farmers was non-attendance at school... 

Selling out or buying in?

Boston Globe
04/05/2006

By Dara O'Rourke

FIRST MY socially responsible ice cream. Then my local, earth-conscious juice. Then my hip, alternative, throwback sneakers. Then my daughter's organic yogurt. Then my wife's animal-friendly cosmetics. Now it's the one toothpaste I believed in . . . if it makes any sense to believe in a toothpaste.

'Transparency' sought about cocoa suppliers Shareholder seeks info on Hershey suppliers

The Patriot-News
04/02/2006

Excerpt from article: 

...Ivory Coast is the world's largest producer of cocoa beans. Its 600,000 farms provide about 40 percent of the worldwide supply.

Bama Athreya, deputy director of the International Labor Rights Fund and a Global Exchange board member, said the Mali children were brought to Ivory Coast under false pretenses, were not paid and couldn't leave... 

Athreya said it would be "extremely unusual" if Hershey were not using one or all three of these companies as suppliers... 

 

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