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Article

2 Mar 2020

Author:
Aidan McQuade, Thomson Reuters Foundation

Opinion: How can Nespresso tackle child labour in its coffee supply chain?

“No one who has ever dealt with the challenges of agricultural livelihoods in the global South should ever be surprised that child labour remains an issue.”

“…audits are used by many big companies to give a façade of transparency rather than actually putting in the hard work that is necessary to more effectively tackle the issue. However … audits are a poor instrument for resolution of child labour.”

“…those who practice child labour are often the child’s own parents who are often trying to do their best for their kids in horrendously difficult circumstances.”

“That parents' best intentions for their child result in child labour is a consequence of poverty.”

“Audits by their very nature do not address these underlying causes of child labour”

“…it would, paradoxically, be a pity if these reports of Nespresso’s failings put people off buying their coffee. If businesses stop trading with poor communities they will be impoverished further.”

“So if businesses want to address child labour in a meaningful way then they must engage with those issues.”