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Campaign to Reform the Global Cocoa Trade |
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Chocolate should be a source of joy for all children, including those in countries where cocoa, chocolate's main ingredient, is grown. Unfortunately, that is not the case today.
In 2000 and 2001 journalists and human rights activists documented the problem of forced child labor on many cocoa farms in the Ivory Coast, source of 50% of the cocoa consumed in the United States.
But despite seven years of promises from the major chocolate manufacturers, little has in fact been done.
Moreover, the chronically low prices paid to the worlds 2,000,000 cocoa farmers leave their families in poverty year after year.
The cocoa advocacy coalition
Because of the pronounced lack of action by the industry a group of concerned Fair Trade chocolate companies, social justice organizations, consumer and faith-based groups have formed an informal coalition to push for change and to raise awareness about these issues.
The coalition's major efforts so far include:
- Educating the public about the problem and viable solutions
- Organizing the Reverse Trick-or-Treating campaign
- Promoting the use of Fair Trade chocolate for Halloween and year-round
- Issuing a joint Commitment to Ethical Cocoa Sourcing.
Reverse Trick-or-Treating
The coalition member Global Exchange has worked hard with Equal Exchange and other allies to create the Reverse Trick-or-Treating campaign, a fun, easy way to raise awareness of the issue in your community and promote the Fair Trade alternative.
We are hoping you will join us this Halloween by helping to distribute information and delicious Fair Trade chocolate in your neighborhood. To participate please go to our Reverse Trick-or-Treating online sign up page.
Commitment to Ethical Cocoa Sourcing
The members of the coalition have agreed upon key common standards for ethical cocoa sourcing and have made a public commitment to those either abide by those standards, or support companies who do. Therefore the commitment is not only for firms like us working directly in the cocoa trade but may also be endorsed by retailers, schools, non-profit groups and others, because all of us have some role in shaping the cocoa trade, be it directly or indirectly. Your organization may become a signatory by contacting Tim Newman at the International Labor Rights Forum, tim.newman@ilrf.org.
Download the Commitment to Ethical Cocoa Sourcing in pdf format. |
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Media coverage of the cocoa/child labor problem
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