Child Labor and Slavery Are Prevalent In The Chocolate Industry

 The widespread use of child labor and slavery has been documented by a number of organizations and journalists over the years, yet little has changed.  70% of the world's cocoa, is supplied by Ghana and the Ivory Coast, two small West African countries.  The farms of Western Africa supply cocoa to international giants, such as Hershey's, Mars and Nestle,  revealing the industry's direct connection to the worst forms of child labor, human trafficking and slavery.  About 2.1 million children in the Ivory Coast and Ghana work on cocoa farms, most of whom are likely exposed to the worst forms of child labor.

The children of Western Africa are extremely poor, and many begin working at a young age to help out the family.  Some children end up on the cocoa farms because they need work and traffickers tell them that job pays well.  Others are sold to traffickers or farm owners by their own relatives.  Often, traffickers abduct the young children from small villages in neighboring countries and sell them to cocoa farmers.  

Once taken to the cocoa farms, the children may not see their families for years, if ever.  The children live in huts, locked up at night, and work 12 hour days.  They do not attend school.  Many of the children are girls who end up working on the cocoa farms through adulthood.  Young children are using chainsaws to clear forest, a direct violation of international labor laws and a UN convention on the worst form of child labor.  Children are also using machets to expose the cocoa bean and remove it.  

Check out the documentary Chocolate's Heart of Darkness to learn more.  It is shocking, and the fact that the chocolate industry has not sufficiently addressed accusations of child labor in its supply chain, is deplorable.  Recently some large chocolate companies have acknowledged these abusive practices, but have distanced themselves from responsibility.  

There's so much to this story, but I think you get the picture.  When you see Fair Trade on the label of a chocolate bar, don't necessarily believe it.  There are dozens of small companies that have been inspected regularly, and are indeed, Fair Traded.  But most of the big companies are using child labor.

 What can you do?  Go to foodispower.org and read the list of chocolate companies to support.  There are many.  Speak out, and let chocolate companies how you feel about the injustices in the industry.

Google "Slave free chocolate" or "Ethical Chocolate" to get lists of companies acting responsibly.  This should not happen, and we can help stop it.  I guarantee after reading this and even going further on the subject, you'll never look at a chocolate bar the same.