Reports indicate that Mars, the candy company, is allegedly using cocoa harvested by children as young as 5 in Ghana. 

The investigation discovered children wielding machetes, nearly their size, working in blistering conditions on small farms across Ghana’s remote cocoa belt, all supplying Mars, the producer of popular candies like M&Ms and Snickers.

A CBS News investigation revealed the use of child labor in West Africa, some as young as 5, in cocoa harvesting linked to candy giant Mars, the supplier of products like M&M’s and Snickers. In a statement, Mars condemned the use of child labor, but said more needs to be done.

Despite Mars’ commitment to eliminating child labor in its supply chain by 2025, the investigation found children working at each farm visited. Mars had claimed to rescue thousands of children through a monitoring system, but copies of beneficiary lists obtained by a whistleblower reveal that some listed children are still working in the fields.

One such child is Munira, 15, who has been working in cocoa fields since she was 5. While Mars field supervisors provided her with a backpack and schoolbooks, her family revealed that no one had checked on her school attendance in the 18 months since the initial visit.

Allegations of falsified lists emerged, with a cocoa field supervisor admitting that much of the data used is inaccurate or fabricated. Dozens of children listed as beneficiaries were found not attending school, raising concerns about the efficacy of Mars’ monitoring system.