The European Union must set mandatory rules to tackle child labor and deforestation in the cocoa and coffee sectors, after years of voluntary action has failed to spur widespread change, stakeholders and policymakers said on Wednesday.
As a top importer of cocoa and coffee, the bloc must take firmer action to tackle child labor and forest degradation in these supply chains, speakers told a European Parliament hearing on the issue.
In 2012, the European Parliament adopted a resolution urging the European Commission to explore legislative measures to tackle child labor in cocoa. However, the Commission ultimately did not move to draft a law addressing the issue.