CIPS Futures · 2026-08-17 · 23 min
How does procurement tackle child labour in supply chains? It's estimated that 1.56 million children are in forced labour in cocoa-growing regions of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, with significant implications for children’s health, education and wellbeing. In the first of a two-part series, CIPS Foundation lead Emma Scott speaks with ActionAid programme officer, Afram Kwame, about the work being done by the charity in West Africa to address the problem - work that is being supported by CIPS Foundation funding. Afram provides an important perspective about the drivers behind the alarming rise in child labour in cocoa supply chains. And we hear how ActionAid is actively addressing the problem in line with Ghana’s National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights - from training community-based groups and cocoa farmers, to awareness and engagement campaigns targeting parents, leaders and schools. Hear from Afram about how CIPS members are directly contributing towards tackling child labour via funding from the CIPS Foundation.
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