While significant progress has been made - particularly through the scaling of Child Labour Monitoring and Remediation Systems (CLMRS) - the report reveals that long-standing systemic challenges such as poverty, gender inequality, and weak public infrastructure are still pushing children into working on cocoa farms.
Between October 2023 and September 2024, an estimated 250,000 children were found to be engaged in child labour across cocoa-growing communities, most commonly on family farms in Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Cameroon. These children often juggle agricultural work with schooling - an unsustainable compromise that hinders their development and perpetuates generational poverty.
Progress in Monitoring and Support Systems
A key milestone highlighted in the ICI report is the 11% increase in CLMRS coverage, which now reaches 1.17 million cocoa-farming households - or 55% of the estimated 1.85 million households in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. These systems are designed to detect children at risk and intervene with targeted support.
“We are really pleased to see continued scale-up of Child Labour Monitoring and Remediation Systems,” said Matthias Lange, Executive Director of ICI. “But these systems alone cannot solve child labour. Structural issues must also be addressed.”
The report notes that more than 970,000 children received support in 2024, a significant increase from 540,000 in 2023. Of these, 220,000 children identified as being in child labour received direct assistance, including educational materials, accelerated schooling, birth registration, and cash transfers for families.
One of the most effective measures, according to the report, is awareness raising - equipping families with knowledge about hazardous child labour and safer alternatives.
The Root Causes: Beyond the Farm
ICI’s findings emphasise a stark reality: child labour will not be eradicated without addressing its root causes.
- Low household incomes remain a persistent driver. Despite record global cocoa prices in 2024, many farmers experienced declining yields due to disease and climate change, which limited their ability to benefit.
- High inflation, particularly in Ghana, worsened the cost-of-living crisis.
- Limited access to education, healthcare, and child protection services also plays a major role.
“CLMRS must be complemented by investments in farmer livelihoods, gender equality, and basic services,” Lange stressed. “Otherwise, we are only treating the symptoms.”
Anthony Myers
Challenges in Implementation and Data Gaps
While CLMRS are expanding in coverage, their effectiveness hinges on consistent follow-up and accurate data. The report highlights that some systems are still struggling to conduct and record follow-up visits, making it difficult to assess whether identified children have truly exited child labour or returned to school.
“We must invest more in training local monitors,” Lange said. “The more capable they are, the better we can track impact and ensure no child falls through the cracks.”
The Road Ahead: Collaboration is Key
The 2024 ICI report sends a clear message: progress is being made, but we are far from the finish line. It calls on industry, governments, civil society, and donors to work more closely together to scale evidence-based interventions, while investing in structural changes that support long-term child protection.
“Results show what’s possible when we work together,” Lange concluded. “Now we need to turn pilot projects into the norm across the sector.”
Anthony Myers
As the cocoa industry prepares for new regulatory scrutiny—such as the European Union’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) - ensuring traceable, ethical supply chains will increasingly depend on robust child labour protections.
The ICI’s report is both a progress check and a call to arms: eliminating child labour is achievable, but only through shared responsibility and sustained commitment.
- Read the full ICI Member Reporting Exercise – 2024 here
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