USA— Mondelēz International has released its annual Human Rights Due Diligence and Modern Slavery report for 2021, which demonstrates progress made toward the company’s goals to prevent, identify, and address potential human rights and modern slavery risks in its own operations and supply chains.

In 2021, Mondelēz more than doubled its progress towards its goal to establish Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation Systems (CLMRS) in all its Cocoa Life communities in West Africa by 2025. The program expanded coverage to 1,548 communities, reaching 61% coverage in West Africa.

In 2021, the umbrella International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) – composed of Mondelēz and peer companies, suppliers and NGOs – reached 590,000 households across Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana with systems that help prevent and address child labor.

Lack of access to schooling is a key root cause of child labor and Mondelēz is also investing CHF 3 million (~$3 million USD) towards improving children’s access to quality education in cocoa-growing regions through The Child Learning and Education Facility (CLEF) and Early Learning and Nutrition (ELAN) initiatives.

Humane sourcing of additional commodities

The 2021 report demonstrates Mondelēz’s progress in promoting human rights due diligence practices in the sourcing of additional commodities such as palm oil and hazelnuts.

Lack of access to schooling is a key root cause of child labor and Mondelēz is investing US$3 million towards improving children’s access to quality education in cocoa-growing regions through The Child Learning and Education Facility (CLEF) and Early Learning and Nutrition (ELAN) initiatives

To help combat child labor in seasonal harvesting of hazelnuts in Turkey, Mondelēz International joined CAOBISCO’s partnership with the International Labor Organization which has seen 1,456 children removed or prevented from engaging in harvesting activities across the Black Sea region.

Commitment to pay its employees a living wage

In 2021, Mondelēz International joined IDH (The Sustainable Trade Initiative) Living Wage Roadmap to help advance living wages in global supply chains and confirmed a continued commitment to pay its employees a living wage.

Mondelēz International is also working with peers in the AIM Progress Living Wage working group to support the business’ goal of having all strategic suppliers engaged on a living wage roadmap by 2030.

Additionally, as part of its continued membership in the Human Rights Coalition of Action within the Consumer Goods Forum, the company joined the Human Rights Due Diligence Project in 2021.

“We need human rights due diligence to become mandatory, so that we can level the playing field and all businesses start upholding human rights standards in their supply chain,” said Dr. Aidan McQuade, human rights expert and author of Ethical Leadership: Moral Decision-Making Under Pressure.

The Human Rights Due Diligence and Modern Slavery report is part of Mondelēz International’s ongoing evaluation and review of best practices in enhancing its approach to respecting human rights through identifying human rights risks and mitigating them.

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