The Supreme court passed judgement on Nestle and Cargill. The supreme told that the two firms cant be sued for child slavery.
All of this case is based on the African farms from where these companies buy their cocoa. Six men of Africa claimed that they were trafficked to Ivory Coast to work on Cocoa farms. They also alleged that they were abducted trafficked from Mali.
The group of men said that they were abducted to keep the prices low. It is calculated that approximately 1.56 million children work in the Ivory Coast and Ghana cocoa industry. About 70% of the cocoa of the world is produced in West Africa. And a large percentage of this 70% is exported to America.
The men alleged that they were forced to do 12 to 14 hours per day. And they were kept under armed guards surveillance while they slept. In addition, they said that they were given a little more than the basic food required.
Court’s statement
The court judged that the group had no standing in court because the incident happened outside the country. The supreme court also stated that there was no evidence found of the incident against the companies. Furthermore, there was no evidence that the decisions of these companies led to the men’s trafficking and forced labour.
There are many works to be done in the cocoa field. Children of six or more years of age do the work in the cocoa field. The workers in the field have to carry heavy loads of seeds and fruits. Kids or adults may have to use machetes to clear the fields. And inhaling hazardous pesticide and insecticides is a part of the worker’s routine.
If the allegations might have been proved right, then the companies may have to bear many fines. The owners and the managers all would have sentenced with a very strict order.
In a statement, the Nestle USA company stated that it had never engaged in a heinous act like child labour. However, the company also stated that it remained steady in combating child labour in the industry.
