Mars, accused of using child labor in its supply chain, says it aims to end the practice

Mars, accused of using child labor in its supply chain, says it aims to end the practice  CNBC

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Dec 1, 2023 - 10:00
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Mars, accused of using child labor in its supply chain, says it aims to end the practice

Candy Giant Mars Aims to End Child Labor in Supply Chain

Introduction

Candy giant Mars has announced its commitment to ending the use of child labor in its supply chain. This decision comes after CBS News reported that children in Ghana are involved in harvesting cocoa, which is used in Mars’ products such as M&M’s and Snickers.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

  1. Goal 1: No Poverty
  2. Goal 4: Quality Education
  3. Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
  4. Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
  5. Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

Mars’ Deadline and Progress

Mars has set a deadline of 2025 to end child labor in its supply chain. The company claims that more than 65% of its West African cocoa supply chain is already compliant with this goal.

CBS News Report and Allegations

However, CBS News has reported that Mars is not as close to reaching its goal as it publicly projects. The news outlet claims that field supervisors from small subsistence farms in Ghana have been providing false information on paperwork, stating that children are attending school instead of working in cocoa fields. CBS News also alleges that the companies have not made any efforts to verify this information.

Mars’ Response

Mars has released a statement condemning the use of child labor and expressing its commitment to eradicating it from its supply chain. The company is currently investigating the claims made by CBS News and is prepared to take appropriate action against any supplier found to be non-compliant with its code of conduct.

Lawsuit and Supreme Court Dismissal

A lawsuit filed in the Superior Court of the District of Washington targets Mars, along with agricultural giant Cargill and Toblerone maker Mondelez, accusing them of negligent supervision and consumer fraud related to child labor in their supply chains. It is worth noting that a similar lawsuit against Nestle USA and Cargill was dismissed by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2021.

Mars’ Statement

“Mars unequivocally condemns the use of child labor. It has no place in our supply chain, and we are fully committed to helping to eradicate it,” said Mars in a statement.

“Despite our repeated requests, CBS did not provide specific details of their investigation to Mars ahead of their broadcast, which meant that we were unable to look into the allegations raised in their program. We are now urgently investigating the claims made in the broadcast and are ready to take appropriate action against any supplier found not to have met our expectations laid out in our Supplier Code of Conduct.

“Our cocoa suppliers in Ghana have agreed to adhere to our robust Supplier Code of Conduct and we have also been clear that they must have a Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation System (CLMRS) in place by 2025 that complies with the industry-leading International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) standard. Over 65% of our cocoa supply in West Africa is already covered by CLMRS, which is implemented by our suppliers on the ground, with audits conducted by certification bodies as part of Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade certification requirements.

“We have a robust Protecting Children Action Plan in place that is backed by a significant financial investment totaling hundreds of millions of dollars over the coming years. We are also transparent in saying that we know that more needs to be done, and we continue to work diligently with parties across the cocoa sector to further help advance respect for human rights in the cocoa supply chain.”

Conclusion

Mars’ commitment to ending child labor in its supply chain aligns with several Sustainable Development Goals, including No Poverty, Quality Education, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Responsible Consumption and Production, and Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. The company’s efforts to investigate the allegations made by CBS News and take appropriate action against non-compliant suppliers demonstrate its dedication to eradicating child labor.

References

 

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