Fairtrade Chocolate Without Child Labour? Here’s What You Should Know 

It’s hard to imagine that something that brings so much joy can be linked to so much harm. And yet, the cocoa sector faces deep, structural problems rooted primarily in systemic poverty. Deforestation and child labour are among its most devastating consequences. 

In Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana alone, 45% of cocoagrowing households face a high risk of child labour. According to the latest figures from the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI), 1.56 million children are engaged in child labour in the cocoa sector. 

Child labour in cocoa: What’s the difference? 

Not all work done by children is automatically considered child labour. 

• Children’s chores: A child goes to school and occasionally helps on the family farm, without dangerous tools or tasks. 

• Child labour: Children perform dangerous, heavy, or exhausting work that harms their health or keeps them from going to school. 

• Child slavery: Children are exploited, coerced, or even trafficked to work without pay. 

In West Africa, child labour is still far too common in cocoa production. Children haul 50kg bags, use machetes, or handle pesticides, clear signs of a global supply chain that fails to protect them. 

This is unacceptable and it will not disappear on its own. 

Where does child labour come from? 

At the heart of the issue lies persistent, structural poverty. Many cocoa farmers simply do not earn enough to live on. They are often paid only once a year, at harvest time. School fees, however, must be paid before that. When money is tight, families face impossible choices.  

In households with many children (on average five), this can mean sending one child to school while another stays home. Girls are often the first to be excluded. 

In remote rural areas, even basic infrastructure is missing. No school building. No trained teachers. No safe road to get there. Some children do not even have a birth certificate, officially, they “don’t exist,” and therefore cannot enrol in school. 

Meanwhile, the world’s largest chocolate corporations reap huge profits. Chocolate is a $130 billion industry, built on the labour of small-scale farmers. And a big part of those benefits goes straight into the pockets of their shareholders.  

As long as farmers lack a living income, the risk of child labour remains constant. 

Fairtrade Chocolate: More than a living income 

Fairtrade chocolate isn’t a marketing slogan, it’s a different way of doing business. 

At Oxfam Fair Trade, we pay: 

• a fair minimum price 

• an additional fairtrade premium 

• and through our Bite to Fight cocoa programme, an extra incomesupport premium to help close the livingincome gap 

Why does this matter? 

Because whenever cocoa prices fall, child labour goes up. A decent income means access to schooling, food, and healthcare. 

But fair trade goes beyond price: 

• Farmers receive advance payments, helping them spread income throughout the year. 

• We invest in longterm trading relationships, giving farmers stability. 

• We support crop diversification (bananas, rice, coffee, small livestock) so families don’t depend on a single crop. 

Therefore, a living income is the foundation for ending child labour. 

What does Bite to Fight do in practice? 

Words alone don’t change systems. That’s why we take concrete action. 

1. Registering Children 

Our colleague Julien Tayoro works in Côte d’Ivoire with the CPR Canaan cooperative to identify children without official birth certificates and ensure they receive one. 

It may seem like a minor administrative formality, but its impact is enormous. Without a birth certificate, a child cannot enrol in school. They are invisible on paper. 

Why doesn’t registration happen automatically? Because it costs money. For families surviving on very low incomes, even small administrative fees can be a barrier, especially in remote areas where registration offices are far away. 

By helping these children obtain legal identification, we increase their chances of going to school and reduce the risk of child labour. 

2. Awarenessraising and community watch committees 

Within the CPR Canaan cooperative, a Vigilance Committee monitors cases of child labour, under the supervision of ICI. If a child is seen working on a cocoa farm, trained teams speak with the parents to explain the risks and alternatives. Sensitisation is key, with particular attention to girls, who are disproportionately affected. 

3. Investing in schools and infrastructure 

Fairtrade premiums are also used for tangible improvements: 

• In June 2024, a school building in Caillou was fully renovated. 

• Every year, students receive school kits with backpacks and supplies. 

• In November 2025, with support from Oxfam Intermón (Oxfam’s Spanish affiliate), a 78metredeep water well was installed near a school, giving children access to clean drinking water, which makes attending school safer and more feasible. 

This multilayered approach tackles child labour on several fronts: income, awareness, and essential infrastructure. 

We’re not there yet but we’re building the path step by step. 

Fairtrade chocolate helps break the cycle of child labour 

There is no single solution to child labour. It requires comprehensive action, and conscious decisions all along the supply chain. 

By choosing fairtrade chocolate, you: 

• support farmers’ right to a living income 

• reduce the risk of child labour 

• invest in education and local communities 

• contribute to a fairer cocoa sector 

Stand against child labour, choose fair trade. 

Discover our fairtrade chocolate and taste the difference, in flavour and in impact. 

Choose Bite to Fight