Sustainable Origins^™ Strategy

The approach we adopted for the Farmer Field Schools enables us to provide farmers and their families with information and understanding on social issues such as the need to adhere to International Labor Standards and the necessity of sending their children to school. The following specific modules are incorporated into the FFS and are based on Fair Labor Association (FLA) Guidelines:

• Awareness of International & National Labor laws (ILO agreements 138 & 182)
• Definition of worst forms of Child Labor; slavery, prostitution, drug trafficking, forced labor
• Awareness of age limits for dangerous tasks; felling trees, burning fields, spraying chemical products/ fertilizers, carrying heavy loads
• Commitment not to employ children on farms, to respect labor laws and to educate children

At the same time, Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation Systems (CLMRS) are set up within each cooperative in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana. CLMRS are responsible for identifying Child Labor issues and report any potential violation. The results of the surveys are then processed and highlight high risk areas as well as propose action plans on how to remediate previously identified cases on a collective or individual basis.

CLMRS setup in 100% of the networks farmer groups.

Child Protection Committee

Child Protection Committees are systems implemented at the village level that aim at raising awareness around Child Labor in the communities where our cocoa farmers are located. The CPC which covers all villagers is set up to complement the CLMRS which focused on farmers in Blommer’s supply chain only.

Education

As part of our work in communities, Blommer also facilitates the construction of new school buildings; renovation of existing classrooms; provision of school furnitures; setting up school libraries to allow children to assess books when in school. Blommer and the farming communities collaborate in the construction and rehabilitation of the schools.