Thank you for sharing your concerns about cocoa farming practices in West Africa. The Hershey Company is committed to responsible cocoa growing and is playing an active leadership role in driving meaningful change for the millions of families that depend upon this important export crop.

As you are probably aware, West Africa is the world's leading source of cocoa, producing 70 percent of the world's supply. This cocoa is grown on over 1.5 million small family farms, many located in remote areas.

Establishing a clear picture of working practices on such a large number of farms is extremely difficult. Hershey and other industry members funded a landmark independent survey conducted in 2002 by the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture in cooperation with the International Labor Organization of the United Nations (ILO). The survey found that the vast majority of farmers in the region grow cocoa responsibly. No instances of slavery or forced labor were found on the more than 4,500 farms surveyed. The survey did identify several areas where change is needed, including improving access to education and safety issues involving machete use and pesticide application.

Hershey and its industry partners have moved beyond the survey to address issues affecting farm families. We, along with other industry members, are party to the "Protocol" agreement developed in partnership with Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Representative Eliot Engel (D-NY). Along with a number of other steps, the Protocol calls for the development of standards of certification to ensure that cocoa is grown responsibly. With support from the ILO, the industry has made great progress on this challenging task and expects to meet the July 1, 2005 deadline.

Equally important, Hershey actively supports programs that are making a meaningful, sustainable difference in the lives of cocoa farming families. These programs help increase incomes, promote responsible labor practices and provide vocational education and community-building opportunities. The World Cocoa Foundation coordinates these efforts on behalf of our industry, and I encourage you to visit {http://www.worldcocoafoundation.org} for more information.

This is a long-term effort, and Hershey remains committed to improving the lives of the millions of people who depend on cocoa growing for a living and to assuring consumers that the cocoa they enjoy has been grown responsibly.

Once again, thank you for sharing your concerns.

Master Foods/Mars Inc. and Nestle both failed to reply to my inquiry. Hershey may not be perfect but at least they say they are doing something about the situation, have a CLEARLY THOUGHT OUT PLAN and gave me the courtesy of a reply. That shows they value people as customers and are at least thinking about working on the issue. I am going to switch my chocolate consumption(not very high) to Hershey only products and I urge others to consider doing this as well.