End Child Labour: Meaningful engagement in human rights due diligence in Cocoa and Coffee growing

In the second half of 2024, SupplyESChange Director Kate A Larsen hosted a mid-career University of Bath Masters Sustainability and Management student for a research project.

Jack Bridger, formerly of the Associated Press, a former Visiting Lecturer Falmouth University, and now a Senior Researcher - Business and Supply Chain Sustainability and Human Rights for SupplyESChange, looks at ESG, Stakeholder Engagement in Business Human Rights and Human Rights Due Diligence, and specifically Responsible Sourcing in Cocoa, Coffee, and Textiles Supply Chains for Living Income.

Jack led the writing of the How businesses can carry out meaningful stakeholder engagement in supply chains: case study cocoa & coffee Report looking at how companies can ensure that their stakeholder engagement for cocoa supply chains human rights due diligence, is in fact meaningful. What did meaningful mean, and how could chocolate and food companies, and food retailers, ensure this expectation of the UN Guiding Principles on business and human rights (UNGPs, or “Ruggie Principles”), is delivered. Jack led outreach to experts in the private sector, civil society and academia for interviews in which Director Kate A Larsen gave input from her 20 years supply chain labour standards responsible sourcing and ethical trade experience. This meant a comparative analysis with apparel and consumer goods sector experience insights.

The report provides recommendations for businesses advancing beyond compliance, and developing good practice for rights-holder engagement.

We hope it will contribute to helping end child labour, exploitation and destitution for some who work in cocoa and coffee farming, and we thank all who were interviewed and contributed.

The report can be found here.