Europeans consume more chocolate than anyone else in the world. But the cocoa production sector – based primarily in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire - is plagued with child labour and deforestation.
Following decades of failed voluntary efforts to address these problems, there are growing calls from civil society, industry and governments for the EU to regulate its cocoa supply chains.
This report, published by Fern, Tropenbos International and the FairTrade Advocacy Office, looks at different forms this regulatory action could take, drawing on the experience of supply chain regulation in other sectors. Whilst the analysis focuses on a regulation for the cocoa sector, much of it is also useful for thinking around regulating other commodities like soy, beef or palm oil.