Caobisco joins with ILO for delegation tackling child labour in Türkiye’s hazelnut production

A delegation from the Caobisco European confectionery trade association combined with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Türkiye’s Black Sea region, reviewing key progress on a joint venture tasked with eliminating child labour in hazelnut markets, writes Neill Barston.

Significantly, the public-private partnership stands as the Brussels-headquartered organisation’s longest-running venture, having begun in 2013, and is due to conclude in December 2026.

Moreover, Caobisco, which is set to once again play a major role in our World Confectionery Conference, with its vice president, Aldo Cristiano, of Ferrero, Germany, set to offer a keynote presentation at our event on 11 September, at the Brussels Marriott Hotel, Grand Place, Belgium, hailed key gains on its Türkiye mission to highlight and eradicate child labour in core supply chains serving the confectionery sector, including chocolate markets.

Registration for our event next week remain open, which should be placed via our dedicated event website, confectioneryconference.com, offering a host of presentations on sustainability, innovation and major industry developments across equipment, finished products, ingredients, equipment and sector policy impacting supply chains, including its core cocoa trade.

As Caobisco noted, its hazelnut project entered a fifth phase in January last year, with a key milestone being attained in  2024, as Türkiye was granted the Alliance 8.7 “Pathfinder Country” status, underlining its commitment to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal 8.7 on eliminating child labour.

Importantly, the latest field visit in the past couple of weeks, coincided with the harvest season, which this year faced challenges due to frost in April. The Caobisco delegation included representatives from BDSI, Fazer, Ferrero and the Caobisco Secretariat.

The ILO delegation, led by Mr. Yasser Hassan (ILO Türkiye Director), was joined by project manager Ms. Ayşegül Özbek Kansu, Mr. Suat Dede among others from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MoLSS), and Mr. Ömer Dede, Secretary General of Pikolo Association, which implements the activities.

Among the two day programme’s agenda, the delegation met with regional governors, Mr. Muammer Erol in Ordu, Mr. Orhan Tavlı in Samsun and the Mayor of Samsun Metropolitan Municipality, Mr. Halit Doğan, to discuss the importance of institutional capacity and local involvement.

They also visited Kızılot Primary School and the Saraycık METIP area, engaging with principals, teachers, education staff, and children benefiting from project-supported schooling during the harvest season. In addition, they observed living and working conditions of seasonal migrant families through visits to a garden in Terme (Samsun) and an improved living settlement in Tepecik (Ordu).

As Confectionery Production previously reported, the issue of child labour present in hazelnut supply chains has increasingly come under the international microscope.  Indeed, in 2020, Ferrero donated a sum of €4 million into tackling the issue in Turikye alongside working with the ILO, which aimed to significantly improve best practices in the sector.

Speaking on the latest delegation visit to the country, Dr. Carsten Bernoth, Director General of BDSI (Bundesverband der Deutschen Süßwarenindustrie) and Caobisco Board Member, who participated, emphasised the tangible progress that delegates believe had been made.

He said: “We are in the 12th year of the ILO-Caobisco project to combat child labour during the hazelnut harvest on the Turkish Black Sea coast. The on-site visit shows that the objectives of the project have been achieved in important respects. There’s clear acknowledgement of the needs of the harvesting communities and a robust model to address those needs. The engagement with central, district and local authorities has shown clear commitment to tackle child labour and migrant communities’ conditions, through important legislative milestones and in alignment with the Pathfinder Country commitment for UN Sustainable Development Goal 8.7.”

Hanna-Mari Polvi, Senior Manager, Group Procurement, Fazer, highlighted the long-term impact.

She explained: “It was encouraging to see the long-term results of the project on the ground, and the impact that it has on the everyday lives of migrant workers and their children. Engagements with public administration clearly showed that a strong dialogue has been established with government, and that development needs within the seasonal agriculture sector in Türkiye are being acknowledged.”

Alicia Bellón, Sustainability Manager at Caobisco, underlined the broader meaning of the partnership, explained that the joint-venture had proved that it had been far more than a mere partnership.

She concluded: “Over the years, this project has built networks, supported children and families, and raised awareness that protecting children’s rights is not only a moral imperative, but also a foundation for sustainable, ethical supply chains.”