The epidemic of child labor in cocoa farms
According to a 2015 U.S. Labor Department report, more than 2 million children were engaged in dangerous labor in cocoa-growing regions of West Africa, where about two-thirds of the world’s cocoa supply comes from.Many of these children are trafficked from neighboring countries like Burkina Faso and Mali, where they are lured by false promises of education and better life. Instead, they end up working long hours without pay, using machetes and pesticides, and living in squalid conditions.
The broken promises of the chocolate industry
The world’s chocolate companies have pledged to end child labor in their cocoa supply chains nearly 20 years ago, in a voluntary agreement called the Harkin-Engel Protocol. However, they have repeatedly missed their own deadlines to achieve this goal, and now face another target date in 2024, which they are likely to miss again.Other Post You May Be Interested In.
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The chocolate companies have also been accused of knowingly profiting from the cheap cocoa harvested by forced child labor, and of misleading the public about their efforts to combat the problem. A class action lawsuit has been filed in Washington DC by eight former child slaves, who are seeking damages and compensation from Mars, Nestlé, Hershey, Cargill, Barry Callebaut, Mondelez and Olam.
The report has also urged the chocolate companies to take concrete and transparent steps to eradicate child labor from their cocoa sources, and to provide fair and decent working conditions for the adult farmers who grow the crop.
The report has also called for the U.S. government and the international community to enforce stricter regulations and sanctions on the chocolate industry, and to support the efforts of local organizations and activists who are fighting for the rights and welfare of the children in West Africa.
The chocolate companies have also been accused of knowingly profiting from the cheap cocoa harvested by forced child labor, and of misleading the public about their efforts to combat the problem. A class action lawsuit has been filed in Washington DC by eight former child slaves, who are seeking damages and compensation from Mars, Nestlé, Hershey, Cargill, Barry Callebaut, Mondelez and Olam.
The call for action and accountability
The CBS News investigation has exposed the dark side of the chocolate industry, and has raised questions about the ethics and responsibility of the consumers, who may be unwittingly supporting child slavery with every bite of chocolate they take.A CBS News investigation revealed the use of child labor in West Africa, some as young as 5, in cocoa harvesting linked to candy giant Mars, the supplier of products like M&M’s and Snickers. In a statement, Mars condemned the use of child labor, but said more needs to be done. pic.twitter.com/i05DaT7kmJ
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) November 30, 2023
The report has also urged the chocolate companies to take concrete and transparent steps to eradicate child labor from their cocoa sources, and to provide fair and decent working conditions for the adult farmers who grow the crop.
The report has also called for the U.S. government and the international community to enforce stricter regulations and sanctions on the chocolate industry, and to support the efforts of local organizations and activists who are fighting for the rights and welfare of the children in West Africa.
Sources: cbsnews.com | washingtonpost.com | theguardian.com | independent.co.uk | nypost.com