Ethical Chocolate

Or Slave Labor Sweets?

Human Rights – Do You know where your chocolate comes from? CNN reports that Americans consume around 11 pounds of the cocoa-goodness per person per year, but that most of those same people don’t realize the significant violations of human rights that may occur in order to get that chocolate.

Much of the billion-dollar chocolate industry comes from countries in Africa like the Ivory Coast. Children are sent from neighboring countries like Burkina Faso to work in the fields without pay.

So CNN decided to delve into the story, trekking into the forests of the Ivory Coast to film a documentary entitled “Chocolate’s Child Slaves.”



In their research, team CNN also traveled to Zurich, Switzerland, which has some of the largest chocolate vendors and consumers per capita. They found that many Swiss find the cocoa business unethical and would be willing to pay more for their candies.



Bringing it back home, though, many Americans said that they would also shell out fair-trade, child labor-free chocolate. Yet, other citizens voiced their ambivalence.



So, want to help break the cycle? Be sure to buy chocolate that has Rainforest Alliance or Fair Trade stamps to stop financially supporting child labor in cocoa bean production.



Read more at CNN.