There was a news article I read today that caught my attention; it was about a man who asked the court to convict him for eating chocolate--he is seeking a jail sentence to raise consumer awareness about child slavery and to force the chocolate/cocoa industry to take tougher measures to get rid of child labor.
Apparently there are hundreds of thousands of child laborers who work in hazardous conditions and pick the cocoa on these farms mostly on the Ivory Coast--many arrived in their situation as a result of child trafficking.
The US chocolate industry agreed to take voluntary steps to end child slavery on cocoa farms by July of 2005--that deadline has long since passed and the chocolate industry has failed to fulfill this promise.
So how can you help? Buy fairly traded chocolate here. Or, if you're still looking for your Valentine chocolates, check out your local Henry's Market or Whole Foods-- just look for the Fair Trade Label.
3 comments:
so does hershey or nestle play an active role in fighting against child slavery?
No, they don't. You can read more about how to voice your opinion at http://globalexchange.org
It's crazy to even realize and then digest the thought that so much of what we consume is at the expense of a human life...that in some sick and twisted way we support trafficking...thank you for the awareness...it's a step!
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