GISCO Spotlights Farmers’ Living Conditions Towards Cocoa Sector Due Diligence

The German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa (GISCO) has held its 10th Annual General Meeting in Berlin on the topic ‘Human Rights Due Diligence in the Cocoa Sector: Working Together for Better Living Conditions for Cocoa Farmers.’

The theme brings into sharp focus the European Union’s proposed legislation to enforce a continent-wide directive on corporate due diligence for sustainability in the cocoa sector among others.

GISCO members and industry experts assembling at the function in the German capital were expected to deliberate on the opportunities and challenges the draft law presents.

The EU says it hopes per the law to stem human rights abuses, deforestation and forest degradation in commodity value chains linked to European businesses.

Although receiving acceptance by companies and groups, the proposed law has been criticised for zero measures to address root concerns relative to smallholder cocoa farmers.

For example, the Fair Trade Advocacy Office (FTAO) has proposed that a just human rights and environmental due diligence law must address issues of purchasing practices in EU companies and aim at living wages and incomes for farmers.

The Voice Network, a group of NGOs and trade unions tackling sustainability in cocoa has said cocoa will be unsustainable without living income for farmers.

Such were the issues that held the centrestage of discussions at GISCO’s Sustainable Cocoa Forum, where over 90 members and guests participated, in-person and virtually.

“Would like to thank all members, friends and partners for their expert contribution to this event and the close cooperation over the past year,” the statement concluded.

Now in its tenth year, GISCO which is presently headed by Beate Weiskopf, as the Executive Secretary, held its inaugural meeting on 13 June 2012 in Berlin.