Food, Beverage & Personal Care

Of all the business sectors benchmarked by Global Child Forum, the Food, Beverage and Personal Care sector arguably has the greatest impact on children’s health and well-being.

At every stage of the value chain, food and beverage companies have the potential to do great harm or tremendous good for children  – and therefore must consider children in their policies and practices. There is great potential for the food and beverage industry in particular, to respect and support children’s rights to health and adequate nutrition. This requires consideration of how products are designed, marketed, labelled, priced and distributed, and extends to related laws, policies or practices that have an impact on children as consumers.

The sector also continues to grapple with the impacts of child labour, especially within agricultural supply chains. Many products containing staple raw materials such as cocoa, sugar, palm oil, and coffee, are associated with children working in hazardous conditions today.