EPISODE · Jun 1, 2026 · 24 MIN
18. Child Labour in Côte d'Ivoire - Who Pays for your Chocolate?
from Amicae Curiae · host Amicae Curiae
Grab your coffee and join us as we head to West Africa, where chocolate, child trafficking, and corporate accountability collide.In this episode, we tell the story of eight children from Mali, aged 10 to 14, who were trafficked to cocoa plantations in Côte d'Ivoire, forced to work without pay, and subjected to brutal violence when they tried to escape. Their story led to one of the most significant lawsuits in the emerging field of business and human rights: a case brought against some of the world's biggest chocolate companies, including Nestlé, Mars, Cargill, and Hershey.We explore the paradox of Côte d'Ivoire: the world's largest cocoa exporter, responsible for 40% of global production, yet a country where the profits of chocolate remain firmly in the hands of European and American multinationals. Despite repeated commitments to end child labour, an estimated 1.6 million children still harvest cocoa in West Africa today.At the legal heart of the episode lies a thorny question: can corporations be held responsible for human rights violations that occur deep in their supply chains? We unpack the broader landscape of business and human rights law, andthe troubling argument made by Nestlé and Cargill's lawyers: that corporations simply cannot be liable under international law for aiding and abetting child slavery.So, who bears the responsibility when a global industry is built on child labour?For any question or correction (because yes, we make mistakes), contact us at: [email protected]
What this episode covers
Grab your coffee and join us as we head to West Africa, where chocolate, child trafficking, and corporate accountability collide.In this episode, we tell the story of eight children from Mali, aged 10 to 14, who were trafficked to cocoa plantations in Côte d'Ivoire, forced to work without pay, and subjected to brutal violence when they tried to escape. Their story led to one of the most significant lawsuits in the emerging field of business and human rights: a case brought against some of the world's biggest chocolate companies, including Nestlé, Mars, Cargill, and Hershey.We explore the paradox of Côte d'Ivoire: the world's largest cocoa exporter, responsible for 40% of global production, yet a country where the profits of chocolate remain firmly in the hands of European and American multinationals. Despite repeated commitments to end child labour, an estimated 1.6 million children still harvest cocoa in West Africa today.At the legal heart of the episode lies a thorny question: can corporations be held responsible for human rights violations that occur deep in their supply chains? We unpack the broader landscape of business and human rights law, andthe troubling argument made by Nestlé and Cargill's lawyers: that corporations simply cannot be liable under international law for aiding and abetting child slavery.So, who bears the responsibility when a global industry is built on child labour?For any question or correction (because yes, we make mistakes), contact us at: [email protected]
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18. Child Labour in Côte d'Ivoire - Who Pays for your Chocolate?
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