Category Archives: Crisis – Immediate Response

When the 2011 follow up report for the Raising the Bar campaign was released on September 13th, Hershey did not release any statements. Articles were published about the report and what it could mean for Hershey’s future. Organizations such as Global Exchange, Green America, the International Labor Rights Forum, and Oasis USA (the organizations behind the Raise the Bar, Hershey campaign) criticized Hershey for not rising to the level of it’s competitors, such as Nestle and Mars, Inc., in trying to eliminate the use of child labor in their supply chain. Hershey has continued to not make information about their cocoa suppliers available to the public, despite repeated petitions from the organizations mentioned above. It is known that most cocoa is produced in West Africa, and Hershey is not inclined to release any specific information to identify it’s suppliers to the public.

Instead of responding to each accusation of these organizations, Hershey is taking the time to put together press releases for the public. In early October, Hershey plans to release updates on their CocoaLink program, which launched earlier this year in July. The updates include efforts toward malaria prevention and a focus on getting women farmers access to the program. Hershey is also working on consolidating it’s plans for community programs they would like to begin in West Africa in the upcoming year. Some of these programs will include expanding the CocoaLink program into Ivory Coast, sourcing cocoa for Hershey’s Bliss® chocolates from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms, and investing $10 million by 2017 to reduce child labor and improve cocoa supply in West Africa.

These will all be part of a series of official press releases from Hershey, intended to be released in January. The press releases will have information and quotes from various top management, but they will all be released by Jeff Beckman – Hershey’s director of corporate communications. As Hershey had done in 2010 in response to the first Raise the Bar report, Hershey will release a second Corporate Social Responsibility report which will explain in more detail all that the company is trying to accomplish in order to reduce the use of child labor in its supply chain.

Hershey will respond to the criticism leveled at it by various organizations by making their efforts in West Africa known to the public. The planned press releases and CSR report will explain how Hershey is trying to improve the working conditions of the cocoa farmers in West Africa in order to eliminate the need for child labor altogether. The company is trying to show that it cares about By providing this information and having only Jeff Beckman as the point of contact to the media, Hershey hopes to show its shareholders that the criticisms made in the Raise the Bar, Hershey report are not entirely valid instead of simply saying so.

Sources:

Elizabeth. “We Did It! Hershey Commits to Certification. The Fight against Child Labor continues.” Green America Blog. Green America, 4 Oct. 2012. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. <http://blog.greenamerica.org/2012/10/04/we-did-it-hershey-commits-to-certification-the-fight-against-child-labor-continues/>.

“Hershey’s.” The Hershey Company. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2013.    <http://www.thehersheycompany.com/social-responsibility.aspx>.

“Hershey Expands Responsible Cocoa Community Programs in West Africa.” Hershey Expands Responsible Cocoa Community Programs in West Africa. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. <http://www.thehersheycompany.com/social-responsibility/cocoa-sustainability/>.

“Historical Press Releases.” The Hershey Company. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. <http://www.thehersheycompany.com/newsroom/historical-press-releases.aspx>

Russell, Michelle. “US: Hershey Investment to Target Child Labour in West Africa.” just – food global newsJan 30 2012. ProQuest. Web. 25 Apr. 2013 . <http://search.proquest.com/docview/918650634?accountid=8500>

“Still Time to Raise the Bar: The Real Corporate Responsibility Report for the Hershey Company.” Labor Rights.org. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://laborrights.org/sites/default/files/publications-and-resources/HersheyReport2011_0.pdf>.

“Why Target Hershey for Labor Rights Abuses?” International Labor Rights Forum. International Labor Rights Forum, 2012. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. <http://www.laborrights.org/stop-child-forced-labor/cocoa-campaign/why-target-hershey-for-labor-rights-abuses>.