You may be buying chocolate for Halloween (if we can’t give it out, we can eat it ourselves!). First, though, consider the rampant child labor used in the cacoa industry. Companies–including Nestlé, Hershey, and Mars–have promised for 20 years to get rid of it, but it’s getting even worse. We’re talking 1.6 million kids, many younger than age 12, and they don’t work under good conditions. Cheap labor while the companies rack up $1.3 billion a year. Read about this in the Washington Post article U.S. report: Much of the world’s chocolate supply relies on more than 1 million child workers.
No, those of us addicted to chocolate don’t have to give it up. Look for “Fair Trade” on the label (NOT “Free Trade”–that’s different) or a label statement explaining how they are slave-labor-free. Buy from an ethical company. (You can find a list at http://www.slavefreechocolate.org/ethical-chocolate-companies.
Enjoy your chocolate, and help free children from slavery.