Empowering communities

Human rights concerns, and especially child labour, remain a major issue in the cocoa supply chain. It occurs mostly on family-owned farms in rural communities, and the main root causes of child labour are: cultural and social attitudes and traditions, lack of government policy, limited availability of and access to quality education, economic insecurity, and climate change. Together with the Cocoa Horizons Foundation, we want to shift models and strengthen the overarching child protection system to prevent and respond to all forms of harm.

What the Cocoa Horizons Foundation does

The Cocoa Horizons Foundation is an independent foundation with the mission to improve cocoa farmer livelihoods through the promotion of sustainable and entrepreneurial farming practices, and to strengthen systems in cocoa communities ensuring that nature and children are protected.

To empower communities, the Foundation works on strengthening community systems to better protect children and address child labour enablers in cocoa communities.

How?

The Foundation's efforts extend across seven countries: Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, Indonesia, Brazil and Ecuador. With approximately 1,400 coaches and professionals in the field, the Cocoa Horizons Foundation works directly with the farmers.

The Cocoa Horizons Foundation deploys several key activities to strengthen the overarching child protection system to prevent and respond to all forms of harm. Examples include:

Strengthening Community Systems	Includes work on various fronts: enhancing the local child protection system, improving access to quality education, developing community infrastructure, and providing livelihood-strengthening tools.
Awareness raising	Awareness-raising sessions are targeted at farmers and community members to educate them about the importance of child rights and the long-term benefits of keeping children in school.
Village Savings and Loans Associations	Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) serve as platforms for financial empowerment and community-led development. Members can pool savings and raise resources to create their own businesses or fund household needs like school fees. Through financial independence, women are empowered to make decisions that affect their children and build resilience. A significant proportion of the savings and loans is directed towards improving children's welfare.

Empowering Communities - Examples of Activities Enabled by Callebaut’s Investment in FY2024/25

270	Village Savings and Loan Associations were supported
70%	Members of VSLAs are women.
99%	Farmer groups being covered by child protection systems and remediation activities.

Cocoa Horizons Foundation