Nestlé gives progress update, consults stakeholders on Ivory Coast action plan

On November 26, representatives from Solidaridad Côte d’Ivoire, Union des Grandes Entreprises Industrielles de Côte d’Ivoire, Association des Femmes Productrices de Café-Cacao du Sud-Bandama, Cargill, UCDG, the World Cocoa Foundation and others joined FLA, Nestlé and FLA’s Global Forum for Sustainable Supply Chains in Abidjan for a meeting to review Nestlé’s progress in implementing its Action Plan and to offer feedback and recommendations for moving forward.

Nestlé reported on progress thus far, which has included:

• Training of 11,600 farmers and the distribution of 860,000 plants in 2012
• Increasing the procurement of beans sourced through Nestlé Cocoa Plan from 5,000 tons in 2010 to 30,000 tons in 2012
• Creating a 30ha experimental and demonstration farm in Zambakro
• Meeting with Tier 1 (direct) suppliers about the Action Plan
• Conducting eight child labor trainings for staff and tier one suppliers
• Building schools through the ECHOES program
• Partnering with Syngenta and conducting health and safety trainings

Participants discussed the child labor monitoring and remediation system and key performance indicators and collaborated during breakout sessions to propose solutions. They also developed suggestions for how they could positively contribute to Nestlé’s ongoing efforts to improve conditions for workers in Côte d’Ivoire, including:

• Lobbying authorities to strengthen the regulatory framework
• Harmonizing activities and programs on a platform of public-private partnerships
• Helping to improve training facilities for producers and the communities
• Making data available and sharing experiences from other projects
• Incorporating the Nestlé/ICI plan into the national action plan
• Facilitating the acquisition of administrative documents and the allocation of teachers in the schools built by Nestlé
• Supporting awareness campaigns in communities