A reader asked if it was true that children are involved in cocoa production for the Swiss chocolate industry. Swissinfo tried to get to the bottom of this complex issue. Swiss chocolate companies are obliged to ensure that their products are not produced using child labour. The Swiss Ordinance on Due Diligence and Transparency in relation to Minerals and Metals from Conflict-Affected Areas and Child Labour requires firms to check the risks of child labour in their supply chains and report them to the government. Companies can be fined up to CHF100,000 ($125,000) if they fail to meet these obligations or provide false information. In addition, countries like the Ivory Coast and Ghana that produce almost 60% of the cocoa used by Swiss chocolate industry, prohibit children below the age of 15 from engaging in hazardous work. However, these regulations are difficult to enforce, especially in remote regions. Therefore many chocolate companies opt to source their cocoa from farms and ...
