Ian (Yes Campaign):
Here is another Article by a group called "Human Rights Watch." This is the organization who blew the whistle on coke.
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/09/16/child-labor-sugarcane-plantations-el-salvador-drops-70
It is encouraging to see such a great reduction! There is more to go, but with the commitment of Coke and the government this is possible.
This dedication to right wrongs shows a company I would want to support.
Natalie's Response:
HRW says that there has been a 70% drop in child labour in El Salvador in Sugarcane plantations in the last 5 years but it does not say anything specific about Coca Cola's sugar supplier making an improvement. It is wonderful to hear that this improvement has been made but the article does not guarantee that Coca Cola has stopped using child labour through their sugar supplier.
Coca-Cola had a policy against Child Labour before the 2004 HRW report and before the 2005 press release. Just because the company had this policy did not mean they were actually following through with it. Although the 2005 press release said that Coca-Cola planned to change their practices it did not guarantee that these changes were made. Child Labour was still being used by the sugar supplier in El Salvador in 2007 (after the 2005 press release) when Mark Thomas visited. In 2007 Mark Thomas went to investigate the child labour claim first hand and found that child labour was still being used in the fields (3).
(1) http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2004/06/09/turning-blind-eye
(2) http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/09/16/child-labor-sugarcane-plantations-el-salvador-drops-70
(3) Atkinson, Geoff and Sarah Macdonald dir. “Dispatches”: Mark Thomas on Coca-Cola. Channel 4 News, 2007.
