COPAL COCOA Info



0COPAL COCOA Info [pic]

A Weekly Newsletter of Cocoa Producers' Alliance

| Health and Nutrition |Labour Issues |

| |Hershey Co. sued for info on Child Labor |

| | |

|Production and Quality |Environmental Issue |

|Ghana COCOBOB supplies 20 million hybrid cocoa seedlings to farmers |Ivory Coast rains slacken, easing cocoa disease fears |

|2nd Cocoa Stakeholders Conference opens in Accra | |

|Cocoa farmers commend government for new producer price |Research & Development |

|Right incentives for cocoa farmers advocated | |

|Association calls for improvement in cocoa production | |

| |Promotion & Consumption |

|The Market | |

| | |

| |Others |

|Processing and Manufacturing | |

| | |

| | |

|Business & Economy | |

| | |

In the News (from Newspapers worldwide)

ICCO Daily Cocoa Prices

| | | | | |

| |ICCO Daily Price |ICCO Daily Price |London futures |New York futures |

| |(SDR/tonne) |($US/tonne) |(£/tonne) |($US/tonne) |

| | | | | |

|5th November |1626.58 |2487.26 |1582.33 |2448.00 |

| | | | | |

|6th November |1636.29 |2503.35 |1588.33 |2469.33 |

| | | | | |

|7th November |1594.49 |2440.61 |1552.33 |2403.00 |

| | | | | |

|8th November |1562.00 |2386.13 |1520.33 |2344.67 |

| | | | | |

|9th November |1576.99 |2408.93 |1540.67 |2367.67 |

| | | | | |

|Average |1599.00 |2445.00 |1557.00 |2407.00 |

| | | | |

| | | | |

International Financial Futures and Options Exchange (LIFFE)

London Futures Market – Summary of Trading Activities

(£ per tone)

|Monday |5th November |2012 |  |  |  |  |

|Month |Opening Trans |Settle |Change |High |Low |Volume |

|Dec  2012 |1574 |1579 |-3 |1597S |1571 |4,872 |

|Mar  2013 |1569 |1580 |2 |1589S |1568S |5,182 |

|May  2013 |1576 |1588 |3 |1595S |1573S |951 |

|Jul  2013 |1586 |1595 |3 |1605S |1581 |468 |

|Sep  2013 |1593 |1600 |2 |1612S |1587S |439 |

|Dec  2013 |1581 |1588 |2 |1596S |1579S |406 |

|Mar  2014 |1570 |1579 |1 |1592S |1569 |1,053 |

|May  2014 |1570 |1583 |5 |1592S |1569 |821 |

|Jul  2014 |1581 |1582 |2 |1589 |1580 |271 |

|Sep  2014 |  |1587 |2 |  |  |0 |

|Average/Totals |  |1586 |  |  |  |14,463 |

|Tuesday |6th November |2012 |  |  |  |  |

|Month |Opening Trans |Settle |Change |High |Low |Volume |

|Dec  2012 |1576 |1587 |8 |1592S |1573 |2,081 |

|Mar  2013 |1576 |1586 |6 |1588 |1573 |2,992 |

|May  2013 |1584 |1592 |4 |1594S |1579S |879 |

|Jul  2013 |1598 |1598 |3 |1601S |1587S |256 |

|Sep  2013 |1597 |1604 |4 |1606S |1594S |236 |

|Dec  2013 |1589 |1592 |4 |1593S |1585S |168 |

|Mar  2014 |1580 |1584 |5 |1586S |1579S |136 |

|May  2014 |  |1584 |1 |  |  |0 |

|Jul  2014 |  |1583 |1 |  |  |0 |

|Sep  2014 |  |1588 |1 |  |  |0 |

|Average/Totals |  |1590 |  |  |  |6,748 |

|Wednesday |7th November |2012 |  |  |  |  |

|Month |Opening Trans |Settle |Change |High |Low |Volume |

|Dec  2012 |1587 |1551 |-36 |1592S |1549S |2,649 |

|Mar  2013 |1590 |1550 |-36 |1590S |1546S |7,748 |

|May  2013 |1595 |1556 |-36 |1595S |1551S |1,044 |

|Jul  2013 |1603 |1563 |-35 |1603S |1557S |913 |

|Sep  2013 |1609 |1569 |-35 |1609S |1563S |1,775 |

|Dec  2013 |1598 |1554 |-38 |1598S |1553S |549 |

|Mar  2014 |1590 |1548 |-36 |1590S |1546S |610 |

|May  2014 |1587 |1552 |-32 |1589 |1550 |159 |

|Jul  2014 |1550 |1552 |-31 |1550 |1550 |100 |

|Sep  2014 |  |1557 |-31 |  |  |0 |

|Average/Totals |  |1555 |  |  |  |15,547 |

|Thursday |8th November |2012 |  |  |  |  |

|Month |Opening Trans |Settle |Change |High |Low |Volume |

|Dec  2012 |1556 |1519 |-32 |1556S |1516 |3,780 |

|Mar  2013 |1559 |1518 |-32 |1559 |1513S |8,462 |

|May  2013 |1565 |1524 |-32 |1565S |1519 |2,769 |

|Jul  2013 |1572 |1532 |-31 |1572S |1527 |2,304 |

|Sep  2013 |1576 |1539 |-30 |1576S |1534S |1,543 |

|Dec  2013 |1550 |1517 |-37 |1550 |1516S |1,526 |

|Mar  2014 |1543 |1513 |-35 |1546S |1513 |570 |

|May  2014 |1535 |1517 |-35 |1535 |1517S |55 |

|Jul  2014 |  |1517 |-35 |  |  |0 |

|Sep  2014 |  |1522 |-35 |  |  |0 |

|Average/Totals |  |1522 |  |  |  |21,009 |

|Month |Opening Trans |Settle |Change |High |Low |Volume |

|Dec  2012 |1519 |1540 |21 |1544 |1518S |2,790 |

|Mar  2013 |1518 |1538 |20 |1542 |1516 |4,719 |

|May  2013 |1527 |1544 |20 |1547S |1523S |1,131 |

|Jul  2013 |1535 |1552 |20 |1557S |1531S |1,216 |

|Sep  2013 |1540 |1558 |19 |1563S |1538S |1,023 |

|Dec  2013 |1524 |1538 |21 |1539 |1519 |578 |

|Mar  2014 |1522 |1537 |24 |1539S |1521S |153 |

|May  2014 |1525 |1541 |24 |1525 |1525 |50 |

|Jul  2014 |1538 |1541 |24 |1538 |1538 |50 |

|Sep  2014 |1542 |1546 |24 |1542 |1542 |50 |

|Average/Totals |  |1544 |  |  |  |

|  |  |  |  |  |2138 |

New York Board of Trade

(New York Futures Market – Summary of Trading Activities)

(US$ per tone)

|Monday |5th November |2012 |  |  |  |  |

|Month |Open |Price |Change |High |Low |Volume |

|Dec  2012 |2427 |2444 |-3 |2460 |2423 |26,128 |

|Mar  2013 |2446 |2452 |-6 |2469 |2434 |21,688 |

|May  2013 |2450 |2461 |-7 |2475 |2445 |1,286 |

|Jul  2013 |2460 |2470 |-7 |2485 |2455 |693 |

|Sep  2013 |2471 |2476 |-7 |2489 |2463 |325 |

|Dec  2013 |2475 |2482 |-8 |2492 |2473 |376 |

|Mar  2014 |2478 |2484 |-7 |2487 |2469 |164 |

|May  2014 |2483 |2492 |-7 |2498 |2475 |491 |

|Jul  2014 |2495 |2489 |-18 |2499 |2472 |255 |

|Sep  2014 |2484 |2499 |-16 |2494 |2484 |5 |

|Average/Totals |  |2475 |  |  |  |51411 |

|Tuesday |6th November |2012 |  |  |  |  |

|Month |Open |Price |Change |High |Low |Volume |

|Dec  2012 |2444 |2462 |18 |2470 |2435 |15,562 |

|Mar  2013 |2445 |2466 |14 |2473 |2442 |14,173 |

|May  2013 |2451 |2474 |13 |2477 |2451 |3,025 |

|Jul  2013 |2474 |2484 |14 |2486 |2469 |848 |

|Sep  2013 |2479 |2491 |15 |2493 |2475 |426 |

|Dec  2013 |2481 |2496 |14 |2498 |2478 |252 |

|Mar  2014 |2485 |2498 |14 |2500 |2480 |225 |

|May  2014 |0 |2506 |14 |0 |0 |0 |

|Jul  2014 |0 |2508 |19 |0 |0 |0 |

|Sep  2014 |0 |2518 |19 |0 |0 |0 |

|Average/Totals |  |2490 |  |  |  |34511 |

|Wednesday |7th November |2012 |  |  |  |  |

|Month |Open |Price |Change |High |Low |Volume |

|Dec  2012 |2455 |2399 |-63 |2474 |2394 |22,229 |

|Mar  2013 |2466 |2399 |-67 |2475 |2393 |27,018 |

|May  2013 |2482 |2408 |-66 |2482 |2401 |3,536 |

|Jul  2013 |2485 |2419 |-65 |2486 |2415 |1,731 |

|Sep  2013 |2490 |2425 |-66 |2491 |2423 |879 |

|Dec  2013 |2500 |2431 |-65 |2500 |2426 |383 |

|Mar  2014 |2494 |2434 |-64 |2498 |2431 |438 |

|May  2014 |2500 |2442 |-64 |2501 |2500 |45 |

|Jul  2014 |0 |2446 |-62 |0 |0 |0 |

|Sep  2014 |0 |2455 |-63 |0 |0 |0 |

|Average/Totals |  |2426 |  |  |  |56259 |

|Thursday |8th November |2012 |  |  |  |  |

|Month |Open |Price |Change |High |Low |Volume |

|Dec  2012 |2405 |2337 |-62 |2409 |2323 |22,205 |

|Mar  2013 |2406 |2340 |-59 |2408 |2327 |30,675 |

|May  2013 |2400 |2348 |-60 |2413 |2336 |2,310 |

|Jul  2013 |2411 |2360 |-59 |2413 |2348 |1,907 |

|Sep  2013 |2415 |2369 |-56 |2418 |2358 |1,552 |

|Dec  2013 |2418 |2375 |-56 |2421 |2363 |571 |

|Mar  2014 |2421 |2378 |-56 |2424 |2368 |781 |

|May  2014 |2418 |2385 |-57 |2422 |2383 |558 |

|Jul  2014 |0 |2389 |-57 |0 |0 |0 |

|Sep  2014 |0 |2398 |-57 |0 |0 |0 |

|Average/Totals |  |2368 |  |  |  |60559 |

|Friday |9th November |2012 |  |  |  |  |

|Month |Open |Price |Change |High |Low |Volume |

|Dec  2012 |2350 |2358 |21 |2369 |2317 |13,386 |

|Mar  2013 |2345 |2359 |19 |2370 |2322 |20,307 |

|May  2013 |2356 |2366 |18 |2377 |2331 |2,487 |

|Jul  2013 |2361 |2379 |19 |2389 |2344 |2,589 |

|Sep  2013 |2360 |2386 |17 |2396 |2350 |1,008 |

|Dec  2013 |2370 |2390 |15 |2400 |2354 |210 |

|Mar  2014 |2375 |2394 |16 |2404 |2360 |228 |

|May  2014 |2389 |2402 |17 |2389 |2389 |2 |

|Jul  2014 |0 |2406 |17 |0 |0 |0 |

|Sep  2014 |0 |2415 |17 |0 |0 |0 |

|Average/Totals |  |2386 |  |  |  |40217 |

|Average for the week |2386 |  |  |  |7312 |

|  |  |  |  |  |7312 |

News

Ghana COCOBOB supplies 20 million hybrid cocoa seedlings to farmers

Ghana News Agency

6th November 2012

Mpitimpi (ER), - The Ghana COCOBOD has supplied 20 million hybrid cocoa seedlings free of charge to cocoa farmers throughout the country, this year.

Mr Francis Antwi Adjei, Eastern Regional Manager of the Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease (CSSVD) Control Unit (CU), who disclosed this, said 3.6 of the seedlings were distributed to farmers in the Eastern Region whose cocoa farms had been infected by the disease, and those whose farms were more than 30 years, for re-planting.

He was addressing a cocoa extension public/private partnership rally, sponsored by the World Cocoa Foundation/Cocoa Livelihood Project (WCF/CLP) in partnership with the CSSVD-CU, at Mpitimpi in the Nkawkaw District on Tuesday.

The rally aimed to educate farmers on the devastating nature of the disease and also to deepen their knowledge in best farming practices to maximize production.

Mr Adjei noted that the disease, which was first detected by a farmer at Nankese in the Suhum Municipality, like the HIVand AIDS has no known cure. “The only cure for the disease is to cut down the affected trees to prevent it from spreading to other cocoa trees”, he said.

Mr Adjei cautioned the farmers that if they prevent the cutting down of their infected cocoa trees, the virus would keep on spreading until all cocoa trees on the farms die after five years. He said after the diseased trees had been destroyed, the affected farmers would be compensated and supplied with hybrid cocoa seedlings free of charge for re-planting, which would start bearing fruits within two to three years.

Mr Adjei said the Government through the COCOBOD would supply free fertilizers to farmers. He also advised farmers whose cocoa farms were 30 years and more to allow their cocoa trees to be cut down and replant hybrid seedlings. Mr Adjei said cocoa farmers would be given timber trees including Emire to plant on their farms alongside cocoa, and added that it was aimed at reforestation and putting more money into the pockets of farmers.

Ms Melody Attah, Regional Extension Officer, advised cocoa farmers to consider cocoa farming as serious business. She asked cocoa farmers to form groups and to solicit knowledge on modern farming practices from extension officers to maximize output. Ms Attah advised cocoa farmers to avoid engaging their children of school going age on cocoa farms at the expense of their education.

She reminded cocoa farmer that buyers of the produce on the world market would blacklist Ghana if they detect that children below 18 years were being engaged on worst forms of labour on cocoa farms. Ms Attah noted that children who were engaged to carry heavy load suffered stunted growth.

2nd Cocoa Stakeholders Conference opens in Accra

Peace FM Online

07-Nov-2012

The second national cocoa stakeholders meeting has opened in Accra.

The meeting will afford participants the platform to identify, discuss and recommend solutions to challenges facing the cocoa sector.

Speaking at the forum, a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Kwadwo Asenso-Okyere, called on producers of cocoa to reposition them to increase yields in response to the global demand of the product.

Cocoa farmers commend government for new producer price

Ghana Broadcasting Corporation-

Nov 8, 2012

The Offinso District branch of the Cocoa, Coffee and Shea Nut Farmers Association in Ashanti, has commended the government for increasing the producer price of cocoa.

According to the members, the increment would motivate farmers to increase cocoa production.

Addressing a meeting of the Association at Offnso, the District Chief Farmer, Nana Kwaku Duah, appealed to the government to pay the remaining bonuses to enable the farmers pay their children’s school fees and attend to other responsibilities.

Right incentives for cocoa farmers advocated

Source: Daily Graphic

08 November 2012

The Director of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Professor Kwadwo Asenso-Okyere, has called for the right incentives to be given to cocoa farmers for the needed increase in production to be achieved.

He said in the quest to increase production, Ghana should not sight of the high quality of its cocoa that attracted premium price on the world market. Delivering the keynote address at the opening of the second national cocoa stakeholders’ conference in Accra last Tuesday, Prof. Asenso-Okyere underscored the need for attention to be paid to the emerging niche markets based on organic production and traceability of the product.

“It will be a pity if the discovery of crude oil results in the neglect of the cocoa sector which has in the past provided a large share of the needed investments for Ghana’s development,” he said at the two-day conference which is on the theme: “Repositioning Ghana in the Global Sustainable Cocoa Economy.”

He was upbeat about the global cocoa sector in view of the increasing demand and asked producers to respond to the supply gap, noting that “Ghana should take steps so that it is not left behind.”

On the global cocoa value chain, Prof. Asenso-Okyere, who was a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, said the chain had undergone a rapid process of decentralization and integration over the last two decades.

According to him, concentration was occurring at the manufacturing side of the value chain and that in 2005 the top 10 manufactures accounted for 43 per cent of the world sales.

Touching on cocoa production, the IFPRI director indicated that long-term cocoa production strategies for sustainable cocoa economy ought to be developed in Ghana in order to benefit from the global supply deficit.

He advocated the promotion of the overall economic development as well as improving the socio-economic conditions of the resource poor and the disadvantaged sections of farmers.

Apart from the government, he said, organizations that were involved in the marketing, processing and the manufacturing of cocoa and cocoa products should be encouraged to invest in social amenities and activities that would improve the livelihood of cocoa farmers and their families.

The Regional Manager of Solidaridad West Africa (organizers of the conference), Mr. Isaac Gyamfi, observed that the cocoa sector in the country faced serious challenges that required a concerted effort by all stakeholders to help address.

He stated the fact that cocoa production was on a global decline while demand increased for which reason he called for an immediate action to keep the global sustainability of the commodity to avoid a deficit.

He said the theme was selected on the fact that Ghana, as a coca leader, could develop appropriate solutions to mitigate the challenges facing the cocoa sector.

The Country Manager (Cocoa) of Solidaridad West Africa, Mr. Vincent Frimpong Manu, gave a presentation of a recap of the 2011 cocoa conference. The objectives included the establishment of a common platform for players in the sector to seek lasting solutions to the teething problems.

The Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Mr. Tony Fofie, was represented by Very Rev. Kweku Abakah Ewusi of the Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease Control Unit of COCOBOD.

Association calls for improvement in cocoa production

Nigerian Tribune

08 November 2012

The Federation of Agricultural Commodity Associations of Nigeria (FACAN) has called for improvement in the quality and quantity of cocoa production in the country.

Dr Victor Iyama, the National President of the association, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos. He urged Nigerian youths to embrace farming and cocoa production in particular.

``We should be looking towards improvement in the production of cocoa. That is what we really need.

‘’We really need to gear up and make sure we produce more cocoa.

``It’s not only that it will bring in more revenue, and more needed foreign exchange, but it will create lots of employment.

``Our youths are out there; cocoa farming and even other types of farming can easily provide the much needed employment for unemployed youths and even some middle-aged men that is where we are going towards. That is what we want to do in FACAN.’’

Nigeria currently produce less than 300,000 tonnes of cocoa as against Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana that turn out more than one million tonnes into the world market annually.

Iyama allayed fears of the long gestation of cocoa trees, saying that there were improved varieties of seedlings that could take few years to mature. ``Cocoa farming, though, it’s tedious, it takes some time but with the new improved variety that are being introduced, our youths can always be encouraged to go into it because they are not patient.

``Once you have a variety it takes two or two and half years to mature.

``Instead of them roaming the streets looking for jobs that are not in existence, they (youths) can go into that, not only cocoa farming, all sorts of farming.’’

He called on government to provide the enabling environment for agriculture to strive in order to provide more jobs to the teeming unemployed youths in the country.

``What we are praying for is an enabling environment, which I believe the government is very serious at doing, because it’s very simple.

``If you set up a factory, how many people can the factory employ? It will only employ some.

``If you take a 20,000 tonnes factory for example, yes it will do its bit, maybe it will employ about 100 people.

``A 20,000 tonnes capacity farm will employ about 14,000 people,”he said.

NAN reported that the Federal Government, under its Growth Enhancement Programme, promised to aid cocoa production with 3.5 million cocoa pods for production into improved seedlings.

Already, the Cocoa Association of Nigeria had received the first tranche of 50,000 pods for distribution to seedling producers.

Hershey Co. sued for info on Child Labor

Courthouse News Service

By IULIA FILIP

November 05, 2012

WILMINGTON, Del. (CN) - The Hershey Co. refuses to release records that could show whether it complied with its promise to stop using child labor and forced labor to harvest chocolate in Africa, a shareholder claims in court.

Louisiana Municipal Police Employees' Retirement System, which owns 1,800 Hershey shares, sued The Hershey Co. in Chancery Court. It claims Hershey refuses to disclose the names of its cocoa suppliers, most of which are based in West African countries that use unlawful child labor and forced labor."For more than a decade, Hershey has acknowledged the systemic evils of child and forced labor in the cocoa industries of Ghana and the Ivory Coast and pledged action to eliminate it," the complaint states. "Notwithstanding this public pledge, Hershey, which by its own account controls 42 percent of the market for chocolate products in the United States, has knowingly failed to fulfill its promises. Instead, Hershey has continued to produce and sell chocolate that is the fruit of child and forced labor. If the company has knowingly supported or exploited the use of child or forced labor in Ghana or the Ivory Coast, Hershey itself has acted unlawfully or aided and abetted unlawful conduct. But moreover, Hershey has placed its brand and reputation at risk. Accordingly, there is a reasonable basis to investigate whether the board has permitted Hershey to act in an ultra vires manner in breach of the board's fiduciary duties to the company and its shareholders.

"In 1894, the famed philanthropist Milton Hershey founded the candy company and infused his personal values and vision into the culture of the company. On a hill overlooking his chocolate factory in what is now Hershey, Pennsylvania, Milton Hershey founded the Hershey Industrial School for Orphans in 1909. With its proximity to the chocolate factory, this school serves as a reminder of the company's ideals and its commitment to the children who consume its candy in large quantities. Today, the company touts Milton Hershey's legacy as evidence that it strives to champion the rights of underprivileged children. ...

"Unfortunately, Hershey's purported commitment to children does not extend beyond the borders of the United States. For well over a decade, Hershey has turned a blind eye to the abusive child labor practices in the West African countries that supply Hershey with the majority of its cocoa and cocoa-derived products, which Hershey describes as its 'most important commodity.' ... By producing chocolate at its Pennsylvania factory that is the product of child and forced labor in West Africa, Hershey has flouted domestic and foreign law and placed at risk its century old brand and reputation.

"While Hershey refuses to divulge the names of its cocoa suppliers, the evidence is overwhelming that the company's cocoa comes from farms in Ghana and the Ivory Coast that are unlawfully using child labor. Hershey has admitted that its 'major sourcing countries' for cocoa include the Ivory Coast and Ghana, as well as other West African nations. ... Hershey also has acknowledged the existence of rampant abusive child labor practices in these countries, which violate foreign and domestic law. There are substantial grounds to believe, therefore, that Hershey's chocolate empire is built on a foundation of a West African child labor force."

Hershey, the largest producer of chocolate in North America, sells chocolate in 70 countries and reported more than $6.8 billion in sales this year, according to the complaint.

The pension fund says it asked to inspect Hershey's books and records in October, after analyzing news reports, documentaries, U.S. Department of Labor reports and the company's public statements, which suggested that Hershey may be using cocoa produced through child labor and forced labor.

It claims that Hershey, which purports to continue its founder's commitment to child and worker welfare, knowingly uses cocoa derived from child trafficking and labor.

Media reports on the "unlawful and disturbing labor practices" on West African cocoa farms began to circulate in 2001, attracting the attention of Congress, according to the complaint.

The pension fund claims Hershey was one of the chocolate companies that opposed an amendment requiring "slave-free" labeling for cocoa products, and promised to "eliminate the worst forms of child labor" in Ghana and the Ivory Coast. Nevertheless, the plaintiff says, Hershey has done little to ensure that its chocolate is not produced by child labor, slave labor or human trafficking.

The U.S. Department of Labor in 2011 released a study that confirmed that nearly 2 million children, some of them under 10, worked illegally on West African cocoa farms, which supply cocoa to Hershey and other chocolate producers. More than half of the children working on cocoa farms in Ghana and the Ivory Coast reported being injured while working, carrying heavy loads and using dangerous tools, according to the study cited in the complaint.

West Africa produces more than 70 percent of the world's cocoa beans, the main raw ingredient in chocolate. The pension fund says that Hershey has admitted that it gets its cocoa from Ghana, the Ivory Coast, and other West African countries, though it refused to disclose the names of its direct suppliers.

It claims that Hershey's purported campaign against child labor and forced labor "is little more than a public relations exercise designed to stem the growing wave of outraged consumers and business partners."According to the complaint, Whole Foods Markets last month abandoned Hershey's Scharffen Berger brand, due to concerns about supply chain child labor and human trafficking. "During the pendency of what is now an admitted 15-year extension of its pledge to eliminate supply chain labor evils, Hershey has placed its brand and reputation at risk through its inability to guarantee its customers that its chocolate products are not tainted by conduct that is not only illegal, but also runs counter to the ethics and morals of a civilized society," the complaint states.

The pension fund says that Hershey lags far behind competitors such as Cadbury, which ensures that its products are certified child labor-free.It claims that Hershey refused its request for transparency, and denied responsibility by claiming that it does not buy cocoa directly from farms using child labor.It claims that Hershey improperly denied it access to records on the grounds that its request was based on "speculative assertions," though it has a reasonable belief that Hershey's products are linked to child trafficking and child labor. "Instead of monitoring or determining how cocoa beans or cocoa products are produced, the company instead chooses to bury its head in the sand despite openly acknowledging that child labor and forced labor exist in West Africa, where the company purchases cocoa beans and cocoa products," the complaint states.

The pension fund wants access to Hershey's records.

It is represented by Michael Barry with Grant & Eisenhofer.

Hershey said in an email statement that it "has been supporting cocoa-growing communities for more than 50 years. We have been involved in on-the-ground programs, working with public and private partners, to help eliminate inappropriate labor practices in cocoa communities."

Hershey said in an October press statement that it would "source 100 percent certified cocoa for its global chocolate product lines by 2020 and accelerate its programs to help eliminate child labor in the cocoa regions of West Africa."

Ivory Coast rains slacken, easing cocoa disease fears

Reuters Africa

By Loucoumane Coulibaly

Nov 5, 2012

A man sews up sacks full of cocoa beans for sale in Daloa, which produces a quarter of Ivory Coast's national cocoa output, April 24, 2012. REUTERS/ Thierry Gouegnon

(Reuters) - A spate of heavy rainfall eased last week across Ivory Coast's main cocoa-growing regions, and hot weather is likely to curb the impact of a recent outbreak of fungal black pod disease, farmers and analysts said on Monday.

Harvesting in the world's top grower is slowly picking up following the opening of the 2012/13 season on October 3 under a sweeping reform of the sector, which is being closely monitored by traders.

Regular showers starting at the beginning of October had made it difficult for farmers to properly dry beans. A black pod outbreak, brought largely under control earlier this year, once again began to spread, raising fears it could affect output.

Farmers said cocoa bean stocks were accumulating in the bush and that harvesting would pick up sharply this month, with the bulk of the main crop cocoa expected to leave the bush in November and December.

In the western region of Soubre, in the heart of the Ivorian cocoa belt, an analyst reported 52 mm of rainfall, down from 74 mm the previous week. "The weather conditions were good for the cocoa. There were two good showers, but also lots of sun. The weather was very hot. If that continues in the coming weeks, it will reduce the risks of black pod spreading," Soubre farmer Salam Kone said.

In the southeastern region of Aboisso, an analyst reported abundant sunshine and no significant rain last week, compared with 29 mm the week before. "There is lots of harvesting going on right now. The farmers are happy because they can properly dry their beans," Etienne Yao, who farms on the outskirts of Aboisso, said.

In the eastern region of Abengourou, an analyst reported 9 mm of rainfall down from 34 mm the previous week.

"Bean quality is good, because there is lots of sunshine and less rain," farmer Joseph Amani said.

In the coastal region of Sassandra, another analyst reported 25 mm of rainfall last week, compared with 61.9 mm the previous week. Farmers in San Pedro reported similar conditions. "It's better than the previous week. There's a bit of rain and lots of sun. It's very good for the trees," Labbe Zoungrana, who farms near San Pedro, said.

In the western region of Daloa, responsible for a quarter of Ivorian cocoa output, farmers said patchy rains punctuated by lengthy sunny spells would pave the way for an abundant cocoa crop. "There is rain in some areas. There is still moisture in the soil on the plantations. The sunshine is good for all the small pods on the trees right now," farmer Attoungbre Kouame said.

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• LONDON (LIFFE) FUTURES MARKET UPDATE

• NEW YORK (ICE) FUTURES MARKET UPDATE

• FROM THE NEWS MEDIA

UP-COMING EVENTS IN THIS ISSUE

Inside THIS ISSE:

ISSUE NO. 517 5TH – 9TH NOVEMBER 2012

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Research & Development

Environmental Issues

Labour Issues

Business & Economy

Processing & Manufacturing

The Market

Production & Quality

Health and Nutrition

NEWS

Others

Promotion & Consumption

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