The UN International Labor Organization estimates 3.5 million people around the world work in forced labor conditions in agriculture, including forestry and fishing, says Civil Eats in a story on slavery in the food chain. “This means that forced labor has played a role in the supply chains of many of the most popular food and drinks.”
In a report, the nonprofit group Know the Chain said that the 20 largest food companies in the world need to do more to keep forced labor out of their products. On average, food companies scored poorly on Know the Chain’s checklist. The highest scores went to Unilever with a 65 out of a possible 100, Coca-Cola with a 58 and Nestle at 57. Three of the four companies with the lowest scores were based in the United States — Tyson Foods, Kraft Heinz and Monster Beverage.
Forced labor in agriculture is most common in Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, according to the ILO. “This includes people working to grow cocoa, coffee, nuts, soybeans, sunflowers, and sugarcane in Africa and Latin America, and rice in Africa and India,” said Civil Eats. “It includes people harvesting palm oil in Asia, and fish and shellfish in Africa and Asia. It also includes people working on Latin American cattle farms and Thai poultry farms. Migrant and seasonal workers, in places like Europe and the U.S., are often working against their will. Apples in the United Kingdom and strawberries in Germany are among crops that have been recently shown to be picked by victims of forced labor.”