Child Labor on Cocoa Farms
Ivory Coast
Big Chocolate Companies using chocolate from child labor farms
The Ivory Coast produces 20% of the worlds cocoa. About 800,000 children are working on cocoa farms. $200-billion confectionery industry's are notorious for poor working conditions. Cocoa farm owners don have enough money to pay workers so they have to make their children work on the farms. Also their are no laws that require school attendance of a legal age at which children can work. So this means that instead of going to school they are going to work with their parents.
Cocoa Companies Wanting More Cocoa
In 2001, big international cocoa manufactures like Hershey, Kraft, Mars and Nestlé signed an agreement to get rid of the worst forms of child labor, but little to no progress was even made. The big cocoa companies also want more cocoa and so they are now providing cash rewards to farms that provide more cocoa. This is probably where farmers that weren't getting the cash advance are having their children work to make more so they don't have to pay other workers.
Young boy carrying cocoa.
children carrying heavy bags.
Little kid using machete
Is Economic Growth worth the cost?
Economic growth is worth the cost because with more money Farmers can pay their workers instead of having their children working on the farms. Big companies like Hershey, Nestle etc aren't paying farms. So I believe if the chocolate companies get an economic growth than they should pay Cocoa farms. I know that if cocoa farm owners got more money they would be able to send their children to school instead of sending them to the farms. I also believe if they lowered the prices of the schools kids would go to school more.
Anti-Slavery Charitiy
Child Labor in the Chocolate Industry needs to end now so please go help today at Anti-Slavery.org
Thanks!
Website: http://www.antislavery.org/english/campaigns/cocoa_traders/default.aspx