CHANGE THE WORLD WITH YOUR TRADE

Do you love chocolate? Or do you just like it a lot?

If you answered “neither,” you’re in the minority. Most people either want to get a taste of that chocolate goodness, or just finished having one. Worldwide there is a powerful growth in the demand of chocolate, but where does all that chocolate come from?

To check the answer to the question please view the image below.

Source: equalexchange.coop

From the image, you can see that 70% of the earth's cacao is produced in West Africa, which is the main ingredient in chocolate. Big corporations purchase most of this cacao from intermediaries to make the chocolate bars and candy that you see in stores worldwide.

The story behind this supply chain is scary. Illegal child labor in West Africa is a problem that has plagued the chocolate industry for decades, with some improvement despite international pressure.

These young children who are desperate to work to help their families are deceived by traffickers who promise them good jobs. Once across the border, far from home and only with their own language, these children are also forced to work long days of dangerous work without access to education, appropriate nutrition or health care. Most are unable to escape or seek help.

Despite the fact that this is a well-documented ongoing crisis, we have seen small actual progress where it is most necessary. And it is this cocoa that is harvested by exploited children who often end up in mainstream chocolate.

Basically, child labor is about poverty. One of the most important factors for combating child labor is to make education accessible. You can help change the chocolate industry's face by buying fairtrade chocolate, which makes a difference for cocoa farmers and their families.

In countries such as Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, Fairtrade contributes to making cocoa production more sustainable by ensuring farmers a minimum price for the raw material. In addition, the farmers earn a Fairtrade bonus that they can invest in projects for the benefit of them, their families or the community. For example, farmers use the bonus for education, health care and optimization of production.

Brands on chocolate packaging help you find the most ethical choices in the cocoa jungle, both in terms of human and environmental considerations.

The Fairtrade brand, the Rainforest Alliance, the UTZ brand and the various ecolabels are some of the brands to look for when choosing chocolate.