The Trick (Chocolate Part 1)

70% of the world's cocoa supply comes from West Africa, particularly Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire. Traditionally, children have always worked alongside their families on the farms, but that practice has turned into a system wherein children are trafficked in to work. Families believe that their sons will have a better life with better pay to send home, but once the children get there, they are at the mercy of their "employers."

The problem that fuels this system of trafficking and slavery is poverty. World cocoa prices are unstable and have been far below production costs over the last decade. Although cocoa prices have gone up a little in the past few years, producers are still in debt from when prices were low. Economic crises have forced farmers to cut their labor costs to survive. They have had to take their children out of school to help on their farms, and other children have been forced to look for work to help support their families, leaving them vulnerable to traffickers. As of 2000, trafficking of persons is not prohibited by Ivorian law.

There are some measures being taken by large candy producers, but they are not nearly effective enough. In 2001, the Chocolate Manufacturers Association and the World Cocoa Foundation signed a voluntary agreement called the Harkin-Engel Protocol. The signing was witnessed by Senators Harkin and Kohl, Representative Engel, the Ambassador of Cote d'Ivoire, and industry representatives. Tulane University was contracted to research and measure progress toward the agreement's objectives. The deadline to end the worst forms of child labor was first extended to 2008, and then to 2020. It does not guarantee an end of child trafficking, adult forced labor, or fair prices for the farmers.

Some candy producers, such as See's Candy, Lindt, and Russell Stover's, insist that they do not use chocolate produced in Cote d'Ivoire. The problem is that by the time the chocolate reaches the United States, the beans picked by hired laborers and the beans picked by slaves have been through warehouses, ships, and trains together, making it impossible to tell for sure where they originated. Other candy producers, such as Hershey's and Mars, belong to the World Cocoa Foundation, but as the Foundation grinds along trying to eradicate the worst forms of child labor, the root of the problem remains, and the producers continue to use and distribute slave-picked chocolate.

Fortunately for chocoholics, ethically produced chocolate is more and more widely available. A good alternative to the huge candy producers' questionable products is chocolate that is Fair Trade Certified. A Fair Trade certification means that purchasers of cocoa (as well as sugar, bananas, tea, coffee, cotton, and many other products) agree to pay at least a minimum set price to the farmers. This enables the farmers to live on the proceeds of their farms, pay their workers enough for the workers to live on, and allow their children to go to school. It also allows the communities to improve, funding hospitals and schools. It can effectively break the cycle of poverty. The cocoa purchasers can label their goods as "Fair Trade Certified," and consumers can enjoy chocolate that does not exploit workers and children. As demand grows, large candy producers are slowly investing more in Fair Trade cocoa. In the UK especially, consumer demand is driving some companies to serious, lasting change. In the meantime, you and I can stop contributing to a system that steals, kills, and destroys.

So that's the bad news. Ready for the good news? In the next post, we'll look at some alternative brands and places to buy ethically produced baking chocolate and candy.