Indonesian government officials said they do not know how many children work in the country’s massive palm oil industry, either full or part time. But the U.N.’s International Labor Organization has estimated 1.5 million children between 10 and 17 years old labor in its agricultural sector. Palm oil is one of the largest crops, employing some 16 million people.
“It is an issue, and we know it’s an issue,” said Dan Strechay, the RSPO’s global outreach and engagement director, adding that the association has started working with UNICEF and others to educate members about what constitutes child labor. Most people take words like “organic,” “fair trade” and “sustainable” at face value. But not Olivia. She became increasingly worried about palm oil, rifling through the kitchen cupboards in her family’s century-old farmhouse in Jonesborough, Tennessee, to inspect the ingredients printed on cans and wrappers. Then she began digging through her shampoos and lotions, trying to make sense of the scientific-sounding names she saw there.
“Let them enjoy it,” said Abang, a skinny 14-year-old who dropped out of the fifth grade to help his father on an Indonesian plantation and has never tasted ice cream. He has accepted his own fate, but still dreams of a better future for his little brother. It’s a cycle that 15-year-old Jo was trying to break. Even though he had to help his family in the fields each day, heaving palm fruits high over his head and lobbing them onto trucks, his parents let him keep $6 a month to cover school fees so he could attend morning classes.
An official estimate says 80,000 children of illegal migrants, mostly from Indonesia and the Philippines, are living in Sabah alone, but some rights groups say the true number could be nearly double that. Without birth certificates and with no path to citizenship, they are essentially stateless – denied access to even the most basic rights, and at high risk of exploitation.
Many never leave their guarded plantations, some so remote that workers must climb hills to search for a phone signal. And for those who dare to go out, trouble can come quickly. Some companies in Indonesia provide rudimentary elementary schooling on plantations, but children who want to continue their studies may find they have to travel too far on poor roads or that they can’t afford it. In Malaysia, the problem is even bigger: Without legal documents, tens of thousands of kids are not allowed to go to government schools at all.
Many young palm oil workers also have little understanding about reproductive health. Girls working on remote plantations are vulnerable to sexual abuse, and teen pregnancies and marriages are common. She said her son, whose own newborn baby was buried in the adjacent grave, had inherited his father’s job. He is the family’s main breadwinner now.Olivia is not the first Girl Scout to raise questions about the way palm oil makes its way into the beloved American cookies.
Still, for many food and cosmetic companies facing increased pressure from conscientious consumers, the association’s stamp of approval has become the go-to answer when questions are raised about their commitments to sustainability. When contacted by the AP, companies reaffirmed their support of human rights for all workers, with some noting they rely on their suppliers to meet industry standards and abide by local laws. If evidence of wrongdoing is found, some said they would immediately cut ties with producers.
Weston Foods, which owns ABC Bakers, would not provide any information about its palm oil suppliers, citing proprietary reasons, so the AP could not determine if its supply chain was tainted.
Always knew those Girl Scouts are evil. Thank you AP for showing us the truth.
I don't have anything to do with the Palm Oil industry but your article is ....wow...stupid. Insulting the hard working ppl in the plantations.
melissacolorado Not even Girl Scout Cookies are sacred anymore. 🤷♀️
I wish no child would ever have to work however if I had to choose between the child working or the child starving or performing sex acts for money . Well maybe the job with palm oil is the best option
Still can’t wait for some Thin Mints 🤷🏽♂️
TaraCopp Bots on here with another bit to bash girl scouts. Great program teaches so many things.
new demons of America? how about we address the root issue, the cause and change this instead
JimLaPorta The entire cookie campaign is questionable. The troops don’t even get the money until almost the end f the school year. We did free non- scout local projects.
The stat of palm oil being in 3 in 4 personal care products is tragic. Corporate greed fuels these inhumane industries. They all hold enough power to demand change for these women/children who work in extremely dangerous conditions daily yet they all keep their mouths shut.
Fuck Palm Oil. It’s the reason the 🦧 are going extinct too
FarnoushAmiri I am shocked. Shocked!
girlscouts cookies may be the most overrated thing on the planet, quality has taken a nosedive every year for the last 15 years
JimVertuno Nooooooooooo
I see two child-labor: One in Tennessee One in Indonesia. The only difference is the amount of money they are making and its use. Children need to learn to make a living too. It doesn't necessarily mean that it is a harsh labor. Sometimes it is out of love to help her parents
Knowmium Those who are paid to push the Sustainable Palm Oil lie will be in the comments any minute now - 3 specifically, talking about what wonderful changes the RSPO is making. This article alone is proof of their lies.
Knowmium Along with all the other horrors mentioned in this report is the fact that these child labourers “come into contact with fertilizers and some pesticides that are banned in other countries”. These toxic chemicals end up in our food, affecting us too.
So what, now we're going to boycott groceries?
kfdmnews 😢💔
Show the home addresses of the unethical,capitalist overlords bring it home to the greedy that seem without conscious.
zofiaknorek girlscouts --you and your manufacturers can do better!
Tell the Dems in congress, they will send them billions. Tell Pelosi its in her ice cream. Oh and how are those NIKE'S on your feet.
Hmmm, can't with a good conscience ever buy Girl Scout cookies again. Sad, children (unknowingly) exploiting other children.
This is sooo sad.
Boycott palm oil and use other edible oils. These unethical things should be given vide publicity.
JimLaPorta Of course. Because the chain of manufacturing has no soul or conscience- so the purpose of doing good becomes a lie.
The same with lithium mines
palm kernels were crushed to the supply chains of many popular kids’ cereals, candies and ice creams sold by Nestle, Unilever, Kellogg’s, PepsiCo and many other leading food companies, including Ferrero – one of the two makers of Girl Scout cookies.
Boycotting or finding alternative 'fair trade' products can send millions of those oppressed, abused, exploited children & adults to be oppressed, abused, exploited elsewhere. Solution is not boycotting or finding alternative sources. Enforce human rights.
Do lithium mines for Tesla batteries next.
Girl Scouts have an army of children selling those cookies and are not payed. Company makes millions off children in all parts of their company I guess.
Maybe we're wrong. Maybe children should be working. We're raising another generation of lazy, whiny, entitled, fat people.
Every international company knows where their supply chain gets their supplies. They wouldn't be in business if they didn't. They'd be inept and broke. They all know. They just don't want the consumer to know.
Wait until people find out about Nike.
And Nutella. And it’s nothing new.
Thank you for bringing to light!
Dirty palm oil industry, yet all fast food industry use it, they don't care about illegal child labor linked to its production Pontifex
💔
Putting the ‘Girl’ in ‘Girl Scout Cookies’...
A white male suicide bomber and domestic terrorist, Anthony Quinn Warner, leaves his mark in the Nashville bombing
Guess god is too busy to help these kids
I knew the cookies were bad for you
Palm oil isn't even good for your body.
Girl Scout cookies using Palm oil - really? Still?
The problem is that even certified plantations are aware when inspectors are coming and can remove the children from the fields. Supply chain issues like this are a nightmare, attaching it back to Girl Scouts is kinda doing them dirty.
I KNEW IT!!! I knew those Girl Scouts were evil! NO ONE is that nice!!!
Click bait tabloid headline
girlscouts girlscoutsnyc girlscoutsnv you are aware of CHILD LABOR ABUSE HERE? 🛑🛑🛑🛑🛑🛑
Seems the boyscouts have taken the initiative in their war with the girlscouts ... having uncovered some dirt to soil the girls with. 😃 BoyScout🚶| GirlScout 🏋️♀️| War 💥
I disagree with child labor obviously. But what these children need in their countries is a minimum wage. They do not need Girl Scouts to stop buying the product. They are helping to support their families and this could make them go hungry
It keeps them out of trouble.
Bonappétit
Your headline is irresponsible and disturbing. Throwing girls under the bus for something like this is unconscionable.
Why do Girl Scout cookies gotta come all the way from Southeast Asia?
Awww some young girl got her palm oil harvest badge GirlScoutCookies PalmOil ChildLabor
Was there ever a time when the Girl Scouts actually baked their cookies instead of this massive outsourced marketing/fundraising operation?
Totally Spies was right all along...
This can't surprise anyone about GSA...
Palm oil in Girl Scout cookies has been known for years. This is a teaching moment for the girls to confront climate change head on. Stop the use of palm oil and help save the planet.
IDGAF. You will not ruin Samoa’s you goddamn monsters.
Just like chocolate and diamonds. As long as we are dominated by world leaders full of greed we will all continue to suffer. As we have been, since man has been man.
Sounds to me like the girlscouts, anyway, are just being consistent. I mean, if you're gonna have kids peddling your means of funding ... why not have kids producing the ingredients! 🤷♂️
Heidi_Cuda Oh no!! There is no safe place..
What a shock.🙄
Misogynistic reporting! Shame.
They gotta ruin everything. Guess I won't get my cookies this year.
Y’all gonna cancel Girl Scouts over something they have no control over?
Would these children starve if not for the work? Did you investigate that?
Girl Scouts just teaching young girls the value of hard, forced labor.
This sounds like a furtive campaign of the Boy Scouts to make the Girl Scouts look bad.
🤤 GirlScoutCookies
“Child labor” is a white shibboleth devised to suppress Black and brown entrepreneurs from implementing truly innovative cost-saving measures.
So child labour from beginning to end is what you're saying