![COCOANET.EU [This project is financially supported by the European Commission]](fileadmin/template/bilder/header_logo_bild.jpg){kind=logo}
What we do
Designed as a networking project, it has the aim to develop concepts, basic ideas and references of good practice around a sustainable cocoa economy both in the European and global context.
More specifically, the prior aim of COCOANET.EU is to develop a network for the exchange of information among employee representatives and organizations within the European cocoa and chocolate industry.
[PEOPLE in the COCOANET.EU] [Contact Details]
HRDD in the cocoa industry
With this project, ACV together with other trade unions and NGOs, are calling for mandatory chain care legislation to stop the abuses in the international chains of the big chocolate companies.
This obliges employers to investigate, respond to and prevent the risks of human rights violations in their production chains.
This has already been the subject of a hearing in parliament, for which we drafted a memorandum and also made a video afterwards.
ACV-CSC is also working for change from within. Our militants, employees in the Belgian chocolate industry, raise these situations with the employers through the social dialogue. You can also find testimonies of some militants in this video.
For more information about this project, please do not hesitate to contact Hilde Verhelst (Hilde.Verhelst@acv-csc.be)
Child labor massively in our shopping cart.
In the context of the International Day against Child Labor (June 12), ACV-CSC International, WSM, Fair Trade Belgium and Oxfam Belgium worked on an opinion piece.
Kindly find the article hereunder in EN FR and NL
Cocoa Barometer
The Cocoa Barometer 2020 provides an overview of the current sustainability developments in the cocoa sector and highlights critical issues that are not receiving sufficient attention at present.
It is an endeavour to stimulate and enable stakeholders to communicate and discuss these critical issues.
Cocoa Workers Meeting in Belgium
Workers from cocoa processing companies attended a meeting in Blankenberge, Belgium last December 2019. From Brazil, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands. All working in subsidiaries of the same multinational cocoa companies (Barry Callebaut, Cargill Cocoa, ECOM Cocoa, Olam Cocoa) they discussed common shop floor problems in cocoa processing: temporary staffing, work accidents, working conditions, overtime. But also the general problems of the supply chain: beyond certification, child labour, cocoa farmers' poverty, pesticides.
They decided to intensify communication via social media and regular international meetings.
For a report on this meeting see the Power Point Presentation at this link.
World day against Child Labour!
PRO-GE: New Collective Agreement in Austrian Confectionery Industry (2018 12 12)
June 2018: Congress of the Austrian Trade Union Confederation ÖGB with 1000 delegates plus 80 international delegations
Exhibition and workshop of PROGE about fair chocolate
June 2018: Congress of the Austrian Trade Union PROGE
Exhibition about Fair Chocolate
Grazina Gruzdiene (Lithuanian Trade Union), Gerhard Riess (PROGE), Harald Wiedenhofer (General Secretary EFFAT)
Fair Products
No Child Labour in the Cocoa Sector!
To act sustainably means to act as if you were in the world to stay forever
12 June 2018 - World Day Against Child Labour
Over 2 million children work in the cocoa industry in West Africa.
12 June 2018 – World Day Against Child Labour: Over 2 million children work in the cocoa industry in West Africa. In 2001 the largest chocolate companies agreed to end Child Labour in the cocoa industry. After prolongations, the deadline for this will definitively expire in 2020. Chocolate companies must act now: there are only 18 months and 18 days left!
Brochure "Child Labour" (German)
12 juni 2018 – Internationale Dag tegen Kinderarbeid
Meer dan 2 miljoen kinderen werken in de cacaoindustrie in West-Afrika.
In 2001 zijn de grootste chocoladebedrijven overeengekomen een einde te maken aan kinderarbeid in de cacaoindustrie. Na verlengingen zal de deadline hiervoor in 2020 definitief verstrijken. Chocoladebedrijven moeten nu in actie komen: er zijn nog maar 18 maanden en 18 dagen te gaan!
Le 12 juin 2018 - Journée Internationale contre le Travail des Enfants
Plus de 2 million d’enfants travaillent dans l’industrie du cacao en Afrique de l’Ouest.
En 2001, les plus grandes entreprises chocolatières sont convenu de mettre fin au travail des enfants dans l’industrie du cacao. Après des prolongations, la date limite pour ce faire expirera définitivement en 2020. Les entreprises chocolatières doivent agir maintenant: il ne reste que 18 mois et 18 jours !
Pozostało tylko 18 miesięcy i 18 dni do
wyeliminowania Pracy Dzieci przy produkcji Kakao 12 Czerwca Światowym Dniem walki z wykorzystywaniem Dzieci przy Pracy. Ponad 2 miliony dzieci pracuje przy produkcji
kakao w Afryce Zachodniej. W 2001 roku największe firmy produkujące wyroby z kakao i czekoladowe zgodziły się wyeliminować Pracę Dzieci
przy produkcji kakao. Termin realizacji tego celu został wyznaczony na rok 2020… Firmy produkujące kakao i wyroby czekoladowe powinny
zacząć działać ponieważ pozostało tylko 18 miesięcy i 18 dni.
12. Juni 2018 – Internationaler Tag gegen Kinderarbeit
Über 2 Millionen Kinder arbeiten derzeit in Westafrika im Kakaoanbau.
Im Jahr 2001 haben sich alle großen Schoko-Unternehmen auf die Abschaffung der Kinderarbeit im Kakaoanbau geeinigt. Die Frist
dafür läuft nach Verlängerungen 2020 endgültig aus. Die Unternehmen müssen jetzt handeln – es sind nur mehr 18 Monate und 18 Tage!
European Chocolate and Confectionery Workers Seminar
12 June 2017 – World Day Against Child Labour
Over 2 million children work in the cocoa industry in West Africa.
In 2001 the largest chocolate companies agreed to end Child Labour in the cocoa industry. The deadline to meet this target has nonetheless been postponed to 2020. Chocolate companies must act now: there are only 30 months and 18 days left!
12 juni 2017 – Internationale Dag tegen Kinderarbeid
Meer dan 2 miljoen kinderen werken in de cacaoteelt in West-Afrika.
In 2001 beloofden de grote chocoladebedrijven om kinderarbeid te bannen uit de cacao-industrie. De deadline om dit doel te bereiken is echter uitgesteld tot 2020. De chocoladebedrijven moeten NU handelen – nog maar 30 maanden en 18 dagen te gaan!
Le 12 juin 2017 – Journée Internationale contre le Travail des Enfants
Plus de 2 millions d’enfants travaillent dans la culture du cacao en Afrique occidentale.
En 2001, les grandes entreprises chocolatières ont promis de bannir le travail des enfants de l’industrie du cacao. La date butoir pour atteindre cet objectif a cependant été reportée jusqu’en 2020. Il faut que les chocolateries agissent MAINTENANT – il ne nous reste que 30 mois et 18 jours!
12. Juni 2017 – Internationaler Tag gegen Kinderarbeit
Über 2 Millionen Kinder arbeiten derzeit in Westafrika im Kakaoanbau.
Im Jahr 2001 haben sich alle großen Schoko-Unternehmen auf die Abschaffung der Kinderarbeit im Kakaoanbau geeinigt. Die Frist dafür läuft nach Verlängerungen 2020 endgültig aus. Die Unternehmen müssen jetzt handeln – es sind nur mehr 30 Monate und 18 Tage!
2017 03 30 Steering Group in Vilnius
2014 12 14 News from Austria / ProGe
2014 12 14 News from ABVV - FGTB HORVAL
2014 10 14-15 Cocoanet Steering Committee / Paris
World Food Day 2014
Family farming is the theme of the World Food Day 2014. In cocoa farming most cultivation is done by small scale farmers and their families. In celebrating World Food Day 2014 the EFFAT Cocoa Steering Committee and its member unions want to express their solidarity and support for cocoa farmers and their families. In our efforts to promote a decent living for all workers in the cocoa supply chain, this day our thoughts are with the cocoa families, often living in poverty and lacking basis needs for a decent living. Let’s work to change that for the better.
Cocoa Steering Committee, Paris October 2014.
2014 10 15 CFDT FGA: PRESENTATION CACAO
2014 10 14 ACVV FGTB HORVAL: WCC 2014 CONFERENCE REPORT
9.-13.6.2014 Second World Cocoa Conference
More than 800 interested people – farmers and consumers, bankers and NGOs, politicians and trade unionists – attended the second World Cocoa Conference taking place in Amsterdam from June 9 - June 13.
Trade Unions and NGOs met on Pentecost in a Pre-Conference in order to discuss how to focus not only on economic but also on environmental and –first of all- social issues.
Sustainability was in the center of all dicussions:
· How to make cocoa interesting for the next generation of farmers?
· How to enable a decent life and fair prices for the farmers?
· How to avoid a deficit in the production of this commodity?
· How to abolish child labour in the cocoa sector?
It was one positive conclusion of the conference that all stakeholders came together in order to work on these questions and problems. But solutions are still far away.
see also acv - csc:
2014 05 13 German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa GISCO
Constitution of the Sustainable Cocoa Forum Association
Agenda: GISCO Annual General Meeting 2014
Dr. Gerd Müller, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development: “GISCO wants to help to enable a decent life in dignity”
Christian Schmidt, Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture: “GISCO is a model for other sectors like coffee or cotton”
Michael Bergstreser, NGG:
"One step forward for the trade unions"
_________________________________________
(all fotos: Ulrike Delfs)
more information: www.kakaoforum.de
2014 05 12 AUSTRIA: Certificate Check - Factsheet
2014 03 24 Belgium: ABVV - FGTB HORVAL MEETING
On the 24th of march, shop stewards from Mondelez, Godiva, Leonidas and Neuhaus came together to discuss the importance of international solidarity in the cocoa-chain.
Op 24 maart kwamen militanten van Mondelez, Godiva, Leonidas en Neuhaus samen om de internationale solidariteit in de cacao-keten te bespreken.
Le 24 mars, les militants de Mondelez, Godiva, Leonidas et Neuhaus se sont réunis pour discuter de la solidarité internationale dans la chaîne de cacao.
Am 24. März kamen Gewerkschaftsvertreter von Mondelez, Godiva, Leonidas und Neuhaus zusammen, um die Bedeutung der internationalen Solidarität in der Kakaokette zu diskutieren.
El 24 de marzo, los militantes de Mondelez, Godiva, Leonidas y Neuhaus se reunieron para discutir la solidaridad internacional en la cadena de cacao.
Amsterdam, February 2014: New Projects for the Steering Committee
The members of the Steering Committee are from Belgium, Netherlands, Germny, France, Great Britain, Lithuania, Austria and Geneva.
The group members are trade union delegates from ACV / CSC, ABVV / FGTB, fnv, NGG, FGA CFDT, UNITE, LPMS, ProGe and IUL
The group discussed and confirmed its participation in the World Cocoa Conference in June in Amsterdam and active co-operation in pre-meetings
2013 12 16: News from Austria - Make Chocolate Fair!
2013 12 14 News from Germany (see Networking / Germany)
2013 12 14 News from Austria (see Networking / Austria)
News about the Collective Agreement....
III.Global Conference on Child Labour
Cocoanet.EU: European employee and trade union network demands ban of child labour - Conference in Elewijt, Belgium
The Cocoanet.EU conference of employee representatives took place in the Elewijt Center close to Mechelen in Belgium on May 24th 2011.
Over 70 employee representatives from more than 10 European countries came together for the third conference of the cocoanet.EU network and demanded a ban on child labour and decent living in a sustainable environment - now and in the future - for all people working in the cocoa chain. [MORE]
Conference Agenda (EN)
Ordre Du Jour (FR)
Tagesordnung Konferenz (DE)
2nd Workshop of the Cocoanet.EU in Vienna - February 28 & March 1 2011
The Cocoanet.EU Steering Committee met for a two-day workshop in Vienna, Austria on February 28th and March 1rst 2011. Hosted by the Austrian trade union Pro-Ge, participants from Belgium, the Netherlands, Lithuania, France, Spain, Germany, Austria, the UK, the IUF and EFFAT came together to discuss different methods to sensitize employees on cocoa-related sustainability issues, the work of the IUF and further steps of the project. On the first day, the participants visited the Austrian chocolate factory of Manner in Vienna. [More]
