Court case
Ongoing
Switzerland
Asmania and others vs. Holcim
Climate Change
Human Rights
Feb 1, 2023
This is a consumer protection case regarding the false and deceptive marketing on Hershey chocolate products. The West African cocoa industry, specifically in cocoa farms in Cote d’Ivoire, is rife with child labor, forced child labor, and farmer poverty. Corporate Accountability Lab (CAL) claims that Rainforest Alliance is misleading consumers through purporting that their farms are part of a sustainable and responsible cocoa production when in fact child labor takes place on those farms. Furthermore, it is alleged that The Hershey Company and Rainforest Alliance exploited cheap labor by financially benefiting from cheap cocoa supplies and continuing to condone hazardous child labor conditions on Rainforest Alliance certified farms.
Corporate Accountability Lab (CAL) claims that Hershey and Rainforest Alliance have violated CPPA (D.C. Code § 28-3901) by "misrepresent[ing] as a material fact which has a tendency to mislead" and "[failure] to state a material fact if such failure tends to mislead."
The CPPA (§28-2905(k)(1)(C)) allows for public interest groups, such as CAL, to stand in the shoes of a consumer to seek relief from any violation of the CPPA.
CAL claims that defendants advertise and market their products as "sustainable" and "responsible" when, in fact, farms that the Defendant uses violate labor rights and other various human rights.
The case is ongoing. Plaintiff (CAL) has asked for a trial by jury. Plaintiff requests the following relief: