The United States Supreme Court recently indicated that it would ask for the advice of the Solicitor General, Noel Francisco, to rule on the admissibility of Nestlé and Cargill’s appeals in their case regarding child labour in the cocoa industry in Côte d’Ivoire.
The two food giants have faced allegations since 2005 from six former child slaves from Mali, accusing them of having condoned forced labour at cocoa plantations. They claim that they worked for up to 14 hours a day for no pay and also alleged physical punishment.
In its appeal, Nestlé explained that the plaintiffs were unable to prove that their injuries were due to domestic conduct, and Cargill underlined that the victims had not demonstrated that they worked in plantations supplying them with raw materials.
Source: Agence Ecofin