The Hershey Co. recently announced that it will partner with Côte d’Ivoire government agencies and nongovernmental organizations to invest in constructing 10 primary schools in cocoa-growing communities.
Through public-private partnerships, the company will work with the National Oversight Committee of Actions against child trafficking, exploitation, and child labor and the International Cocoa Initiative to build the schools.
The project is part of the company’s commitment to improving children’s well-being and preventing and eliminating child labor.
“Access to education for children and environmental conservation are critical components of our broader Cocoa For Good strategy and vital to building healthy communities where cocoa farmers and their families live,” Chuck Raup, Hershey U.S. president, said. “We are proud to take an active role in creating greater access to primary schooling and building the critical conservation programming needed to support healthy cocoa ecosystems and farmer income resilience.”
Hershey also will partner with the Foundation for the Parks and Reserves of Côte d’Ivoire to advance preservation efforts in the Mabi-Yaya Nature Reserve. The reserve is located in the heart of the country’s southeastern cocoa-producing area.
These investments complement Hershey’s Income Accelerator, create a more sustainable cocoa supply chain, and counteract poverty, child labor, and deforestation.