by Cathy Rankin
Sometimes ignorance really is bliss, but once you have the knowledge, it is hard to turn back. That was the case with me one night, typing away minding my business with the TV on in the background.
A late night show called Crime Inc. was covering the harsh realities of child labour.
Narrator on screen: “And believe it or not, one of the worst industries for child labour is the cocoa bean.”
Cocoa Bean: The main ingredient in chocolate.
I’ve heard it! I can’t go back now… what you don’t know about chocolate. After doing a little digging on my own, here is a general overview of what I found.
The cocoa bean thrives on the Ivory Coast of Africa. This west African nation is the leading world supplier of cocoa, second being Ghana. Cocoa farmers are paid very little for their product, driving them to continue to find lower labour costs.
Not only are the children working on these farms very young, investigators and labour initiatives such as the ILR (International labour Rights Forum), discovered that the children are forced to work long hours, using dangerous tools and pesticides without proper safety or training. Many also suffer cruel treatment and frequent beatings.
Major cocoa companies have made voluntary commitments to to self-regulate for “child labour free” cocoa but the changes required to ensure this simply have not happened.
So what can we do?
Awareness
Just being aware and educating yourself is a great first step. Take a few minutes and do some searching on your own, you will quickly find many sources and in-depth articles on this topic.
Fair Trade
Search for a store near you or online that sells fair trade chocolate, paying the farmer a fair wage for the product purchased. In Toronto you can visit “Delight” located at 3040 Dundas Street West, for not only fair-trade, but organic. Smaller communities may require online alternatives.
One Person, One Change
This Valentines, what if each of us asked for something other than chocolate? Every small action counts. Support your local businesses, ask for a pedicure at a nearby salon or something from local gift shop.
Through this article, I am just a messenger, not the expert so please explore on your own. And let us know what you plan on doing or asking for on Valentines!
A list of Fair Trade Chocolate: http://www.worldvision.com.au/Act/DontTradeLives/GoodChocolateGuide.aspx
Where to find fair trade products?
Visit http://fairtrade.ca/ and use their Fair Trade Finder.
http://fairtradeusa.org/products-partners/cocoa
References:
International Cocao Initiative (ICL)
International Labour Rights Forum (ILR)
Cathy Rankin is a freelance writer and mother of one wonderful little boy, teaching her daily how not to sweat the small stuff. Follow her on Twitter.
4 Comments
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This is really a disturbing thing to know. I know that we all love certain products like chocolate, but it is a fact that child labor is used to lessen the production costs at the farm level.
It will take some time before plantation owners quit those immoral if not inhumane practice. However, I find a boycott of their product as an unsatisfactory way to get their attention. If the products of the plantation are not bought, what will the kids and the other farmers and their families earn?
Yes, this is a delicate situation.
Daniel, I agree with what you are saying, fair trade chocolate means the purchaser of the cocoa bean has ensured the farmer was paid a fair wage. My story was not suggesting a boycott but simply to raise awareness, and if you decide to purchase fair trade chocolate, our wallets and purchase power can go a long way.
Cheers.
I had no idea. I will definitely look for fair trade chocolate in the future. Thanks for spreading awareness.