The Fieldwork of the Geneva Center for Business and Human Rights at the Heart of Côte d’Ivoire’s Cocoa Sector

Professor Dorothée Baumann‑Pauly, Director of the Geneva Center for Business and Human Rights, conducted field research in Côte d’Ivoire in January and February 2026 together with Dr. Berit Knaak, documenting the structural challenges affecting the country’s cocoa sector. As highlighted in a recent article published by the UNIGE Journal, their two‑week mission followed the cocoa supply chain from rural communities to export ports, providing first‑hand observations on working conditions and the socioeconomic pressures faced by producers.

Their investigation, carried out in collaboration with the FarmStrong Foundation, is part of a broader research project on the root causes of child labour in the cocoa sector. The findings point to a sector under significant strain, driven by declining yields, price volatility, and the rapid expansion of artisanal gold mining, which poses environmental risks and threatens agricultural livelihoods.

The researchers emphasise the need for a holistic, community‑centred approach that considers the coexistence of cocoa farming and gold extraction, and calls for coordinated efforts among local actors, industry partners, and international stakeholders.

> Read the article in the University of Geneva's publication Le Journal (in French)
> Click here to read the editorial opinion piece published in swissinfo.ch
> Read the GCBHR white paper on the root causes of child labor