In 2001, Hershey signed the Harkin-Engel Protocol to end child labour from all of its cocoa suppliers and the rest of their supply chain by 2005. At the time, eight chocolate and candied goods companies signed the agreement; however, as of November 2012, they remain the only company to not commit to their pledge. Many of these cocoa farms are owned by chocolatiers, including Hershey, and there are reports of child trafficking, sexual and physical abuse, poor living conditions, and low wages. Moreover, Hershey’s poor work conditions extend into the U.S. where a packaging plant hired by Hershey for their products was found guilty for hiding health and safety violations on foreign student workers, resulting in a $283,000 fine as determined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
With over $6 Billion in revenue, Hershey declared a $10 Million investment for reduction of child labour in cocoa farms by 2017. The negative press continues to impact their brand image and Hershey refuses to disclose any updates since their announcements. Many of the other chocolate producers have taken a step further from the Harkin-Engel Protocol and have committed to only acquiring fair trade cocoa. It is disturbing and completely unethical to see such a large organization not take issues of child labour and poor working conditions seriously, going as far as backing out of an agreement to implement change in the industry. Hershey should take responsibility for their wrongdoings and finally make a purposeful effort and lead by example.
Relevant Links:
http://www.laborrights.org/sites/default/files/publications-and-resources/HersheyReportExecSum2010.pdf
http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/22927
http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2012/11/16/hershey-child-labor-suit/