Activists Demand Emerald Nuts Crack Rampant Child Labor in Cashew Production

Hundreds of sustainable and fair food activists have signed onto a campaign launched by Fairfood International on Change.org this week, asking Emerald Nuts to fight serious and ongoing child labor in the cashew industry by revealing where their nuts come from. The growing campaign is likely to put significant pressure on the snackfood giant to increase supply chain transparency.

While cashews might not be the product most people associate with severe labor abuses, the cashew industry has significant problems with both child and forced labor. The International Labor Organization estimates that at least 20,000 children are exploited in the cashew industry in India alone; child labor is also common in other major cashew producing regions including Africa and Southeast Asia. And a recent report from Human Rights Watch identified thousands of Vietnamese people who are forced to process cashews as part of so-called "labor therapy" at drug treatment facilities across the country. However, most of them receive no other treatment of their addiction, making these facilities more forced labor camp than rehabilitation center. And places like India and Vietnam where these labor abuses are common export cashews to the U.S. where they end up on grocery store shelves under recognizable labels.

Diamond Foods, the major nut producer and parent company to Emerald Nuts, is now closing in on status as the #2 snack producer in the U.S. But despite recent sales growth, Diamond Foods and Emerald Nuts have earned an "F" from Free2Work, which rates companies on their adherence to basic international labor standards, for having little to no sourcing transparency, no code of conduct for suppliers, and no child labor response plan -- despite being in an industry identified by the U.S. Department of Labor as "high-risk" for child labor.

That's why Fairfood International is asking them to improve their Free2Work grade and their sourcing transparency. And so far, hundreds of consumers have joined them. That's because they know when major companies like Emerald Nuts commit to preventing, identifying and abolishing child labor from their supply chain, nut suppliers no longer have a financial incentive to exploit young people. And instead of spending long hours at a cashew processing site earning pennies, those children are able to return to school.

You can support Fairfood International's campaign by signing this petition and telling Diamond Foods and Emerald Nuts that eradicating child labor and forced labor for good is anything but nuts.

Photo credit: Footoos Van Robin