Hershey Shareholders Reject Call for Cocoa Farmer Wage Report

Hershey Co. investors on Monday voted against a proposal asking the candy company to take a closer look at how it pays cocoa farmers.

The proposal, filed by the American Baptist Home Mission Society, asked for a third-party report on securing a living income for cocoa farmers in Hershey’s West African supply chain. They asked that the report consider input from suppliers and cocoa farmers, and in particular asked that the assessment include recommendations for gender equity.

The move comes after investor support for pay equity proposals, typically focused on US workforces, has waned. The efforts lost some steam ...