Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 ("Farm Bill")
Meeting Held of Consultative Group and Multi-Sector Stakeholders
On June 7, 2012 at the Department of Labor, the Consultative Group (Group) held a meeting to solicit additional views from Group members, expand engagement to additional stakeholders beyond the Group, and obtain further input focusing on (1) the challenges that may exist in implementing the Guidelines published in 2011, and (2) specific sectors in which they might be utilized. Most of the meeting participants, whether from government, business, civil society, or academia, brought experience dealing with other international labor issues and had engaged in other dialogues bringing together varied perspectives and stakeholders.
A summary of the meeting is below. As the meeting was conducted under so-called “Chatham House Rules,” the summary is abbreviated and comments are not attributed to any specific person.
Recommendations Published for Public Comment
On April 12, 2011, the Consultative Group published draft recommendations in the Federal Register, requesting public comments through July 11, 2011.
- View the April 12, 2011 Federal Register Notice
- View the Questions and Answers released with the Guidelines
Public Comments on Recommendations
The Consultative Group received 14 public comments in response to its April 12, 2011 request.
Consultative Group Report Published
On December 15, 2010, the Consultative Group published a report summarizing its work to date and making recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture relating to guidelines for a standard set of practices for independent, third-party monitoring and verification for the production, processing, and distribution of agricultural products or commodities.
- View the report (PDF)
Public Meeting Held March 29, 2010
On March 29, 2010, the Consultative Group held a public meeting at the U.S. Department of Agriculture to receive information or comments from the general public on the issues relevant to the Group's mandate.
- View the March 11, 2010 Federal Register Notice [Text] [PDF]
- View the meeting agenda, transcript, copies of oral testimonies, and copies of written statements received
Members of Consultative Group Announced
On Sept. 23, 2009, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced the 13 members of the "Consultative Group to Eliminate the Use of Child Labor and Forced Labor in Imported Agricultural Products." The current members are:
- Bama Athreya, Senior Fellow, International Labor Rights Forum
- Eric Edmonds, Associate Professor of Economics, Dartmouth University
- Kimberly Elliott, Senior Fellow, Center for Global Development, Visiting Fellow, Peterson Institute
- Bill Guyton, President, World Cocoa Foundation
- Rachelle Jackson, Director, Research and Development, STR Responsible Sourcing
- Dennis Macray, Senior Sustainability Advisor, Theo Chocolate Company
- Eric Biel, Associate Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs (Acting), U.S. Department of Labor
- Michael Posner, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, U.S. Department of State
- Edward Potter, Director, Global Workplace Rights, Coca-Cola Co.
- Margaret Roggensack, Senior Advisor for Business and Human Rights, Human Rights First
- Auret Van Heerden, President and CEO, Fair Labor Association
- Darci Vetter, Deputy Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture
- Rebecca Blue, Deputy Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Request for Nominations for the Consultative Group to Eliminate the Use of Child Labor and Forced Labor in Imported Agricultural Products
On January 21, 2009, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a Federal Register Notice inviting the public to nominate non-governmental members of the "Consultative Group to Eliminate the Use of Child Labor and Forced Labor in Imported Agricultural Products." Nominations included private agriculture-related enterprises; institutions of higher education and research; organizations that provide independent, third-party certification services for labor standards; and non-profit organizations with expertise in the areas of international child labor and forced labor. Nominations were due March 9, 2009. On April 29, 2009, a second Notice was published extending this deadline to May 13, 2009.
- View the January 21, 2009 Federal Register Notice [Text] [PDF]
- View the April 29, 2009 Federal Register Notice [Text] [PDF]
Mandate to Establish Consultative Group
On June 18, 2008, Congress passed the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 ("Farm Bill"). Section 3205 (b) of this law establishes a Consultative Group to Eliminate the Use of Child Labor and Forced Labor in Imported Agricultural Products, composed of 13 members and chaired by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The mandate of this Consultative Group is to "develop recommendations relating to guidelines to reduce the likelihood that agricultural products or commodities imported into the United States are produced with the use of forced labor and child labor."
The law assigns several specific duties to USDA and the Department of Labor (DOL), as detailed below.
USDA chairs the Group, and ensures that the following goals are achieved:
- Section 3205 (c)(1): "... as applicable to the importation of agricultural products made with the use of child labor or forced labor, the Consultative Group shall develop, and submit to the Secretary, recommendations relating to a standard set of practices for independent, third-party monitoring and verification for the production, processing, and distribution of agricultural products or commodities to reduce the likelihood that agricultural products or commodities imported into the United States are produced with the use of forced labor or child labor."
- Section 3205 (c)(2)(A): "Not later than 1 year after the date on which the Secretary receives recommendations under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall release guidelines for a voluntary initiative to enable entities to address issues raised by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000."
- Section 3205 (h): Through 2012, reports must be submitted annually to Congress describing the activities and recommendations of the Consultative Group.
The law's specific mandates for DOL's Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) are:
- Section 3205 (d)(2): "Membership in the Group will include the Deputy Under Secretary for International Affairs."
- Section 3205 (d)(5):"2 members shall represent institutions of higher education and research institutions, as determined appropriate by [ILAB]."
- Section 3205 (d)(7): "3 members shall represent [non-profit organizations] that have expertise on the issues of international child labor and do not possess a conflict of interest associated with establishment of the guidelines issued under subsection (c)(2), as determined by [ILAB], including representatives from consumer organizations and trade unions, if appropriate."
The Group will terminate its work on December 31, 2012.
USDA Annual Reports to Congress
