How to Help

Some of these organizations are dedicated to the industry specifically while others focus on the overall issue of child labor.  Visit their websites to learn more about the cause and make a difference in these children’s lives.

           

• World Cocoa Foundation
• International Cocoa Initiative
• UNICEF
• National Confectioners Assoc.

Be part of the change now.

Petition to CEOs

Petition to Congress

Sign to save a soul, forgotten in the sins of chocolate.

Progress

Voluntary protocols put into action at the being of the decade are set to wean companies of their inhuman labor supply the industry powers continue to miss deadlines and change little. When dealing with a government fuzzy about details, the enforcement of laws has always been an issue. Millions of dollars have been allocated to the cause by governments, international partners and charities but the results have been limited; further improvement rests on you, the consumer.

It is proven that Fair Trade and organic farmers live much better lives.

A demand for human chocolate would force the industry to comply with regulations. Their denial of the issue is a major part of the problem and the most impactful voice to them is the consumer. Progress made by these swift actions will take time, support those suffering now by raising awareness and funds to target the social infrastructure at the heart of the debate. 

Speak out, Save the Children from the Horrors of Chocolate.    

Child Labor in the Ivory Coast and Abroad

Around the world today over 190 million children between the ages of 4 to 15 work, 50 % in sub-Saharan Africa. It is estimated the 74 million of these children are engaged in hazardous activities, included in that group are the kids conscripted by the chocolate industry. Most of these kids work on their families small farms, exploited by their parents, making the problem even more complicated and emotional.

Living deep in poverty they are highly dependent on the speculative global markets, vulnerable to their environment. Lacking education, food, water, health services, electricity and many other basic needs they remain under the radar in a cycle of poverty.  Buried in debt, these workers need the price of the commodity to continue to rise on the global market and more understanding from the corporations manipulating their lives. Civil war had plagued the Ivory Coast in the early 2000s giving the industry the title of blood chocolate and making it nearly impossible to fight the corrupt government, one happier making excuses than changes

History of the Cocoa Bean

More than 70% of the world chocolate originates on trees in West Africa, farmed by impoverished families deeply in debt. The labor intensive process requires carrying heavy loads, using pesticides and fertilizers and cutting down trees. The pressures by powerhouse chocolate companies to keep the cost down are a major force fueling human trafficking. Most of the production occurs on over two million small, family run farms deep in the jungle of the Ivory Coast and other West African nations, making any wide spread bureaucratic changes almost impossible. These impoverished farmers desperately need the price of cocoa to remain high for any chance of stabilizing their communities and their lifestyle. The closing price of cocoa on Friday December 16^th was $3080.98 per ton; the commodity has been on a slight decline recently after reaching an all time high in December 2009. These stiff prices are positive for the farmers and for those hoping to change the practices, for higher prices put pressure on the abusive companies.