For many you sitting in this room, chocolate is , a food that we crave. But for other children around the world, chocolate is anything but sweet. When you take a bite into that piece of chocolate, you may be unaware of what exactly it took for it to get where it is. Halfway across the world, children like us are forced to work in the most appalling conditions on cocoa farms where some of these chocolates are coming from. So what exactly is happening on these farms?
The answer reveals the dark side of chocolate. The children work long exhausting hours, starting at about 6 in the morning and often do not finish till 6.30 at night. Although these children work 80 to 100 hours per week, they only make a few cents or no money at all.
They work in dangerous conditions and carry out tasks that requires them to use harmful tools.They use machetes or sharp knives to pick the cocoa pods, slice them open and scoop out the cocoa beans. All of these children have been injured at least from this work. Their skin is exposed to intense heat and dangerous pesticides. They donʼt have the protection of sunscreen or hats, when our parents are normally shouting at us to put some on.
Not only that, they barely get enough food to keep them going. Meals are usually fried bananas or corn paste, far from the full meals and luxuries that we are so used to having. Their living conditions in general are terrible and they also are vulnerable to abuse and beatings. Later at night they are locked up in tiny rooms (only 6 by 7 meters) with eighteen people in the one room, sleeping on wooden boards. Compare this to our beds and our houses, and imagine for a second what it would be like to be in their place.
PAUSE Sadly, most of these children will never even taste the final product that results from their suffering and wonʼt have an education. Approximately 15,000 children aged 9 to 12 have been sold into forced labour on cocoa farms around the Ivory Coast. 200,000 children a year are kidnapped off the streets of Western and Central Africa. Some parents even sell their children to traffickers for as little as $30. The price paid for the cocoa is far less than what itʼs worth, thatʼs why cocoa farmers have to employ children because they only expect to earn little money.
However, there is a way we can help and its through this thing called Fairtrade. Some of you may have already heard of this organisation, but for those who have not Fairtrade works to stop child labour. If the children choose to work, they ensure that they do not carry out dangerous tasks, living conditions are reasonable, both farmers and children are paid wages that cover your basic needs, still receive an education and are not abused.
Fairtrade does an annual inspection for cooperatives, and farms that meet their standards qualify for this Fairtrade label. Only 3% of Fairtrade chocolate is sold at a high price, this means that there are many chocolates that are affordable. Brands such as Cadburyʼs Dairy Milk, Whittakers Creamy Dairy Milk, the Scarborough Fair Range and many others are Fairtrade and is sold at the average chocolate price. Unfortunately, some of the biggest brands like Nestle, Hersheyʼs, Mars and MnMs have failed to support the fairtrade system. They still buy cocoa from farms that are using child slaves or forced labour, and the companies know this is happening.
This is not okay. By buying only fairtrade chocolate we be would supporting the lives of many children just like ourselves. We would be discouraging companies who are using slave grown cocoa. Next time you go to the shops just choose to buy chocolate with this Fairtrade label to help farmers work their way out of poverty and to give children.
