Forced and compulsory labour in the cocoa sector
Forced labour in the cocoa sector occurs primarily on cocoa plantations in Côte d’Ivoire.
Children are trafficked there from the neighbouring countries of Mali and Burkina Faso (see risk area: child labour/trafficking). Children and young people from Côte d’Ivoire itself are also affected. Until 2011, it remained largely impossible for the government to effectively criminalise forced labour and enforce the relevant laws. The first convictions were handed down in 2012. However, efforts to combat forced labour continue to fail to this day, primarily due to the inadequate training and resources available to officials.