Raids Save over 50 Chocolate Child Slaves
October 16th 2009 00:13
Further to my article on Sydney Table that Cadbury was going Fairtrade raids on the Ivory Coast have rescued over 50 children. This information is horrendous and unacceptable in our world of today. Sitting comfotably in Australia in a blissful environment makes it much easier to assume these things could not possibly happen around the world but today while we sip our decaf skinny mocchas (OK - I know I am probably the only person that drinks this) and browse the internet kids around the world are being abused and forced to work as slaves.
Consumers face "uncomfortable truths" trying to guarantee their chocolate is free from child labour.
More than 50 children - aged between 11 and 16 - have been rescued and eight people arrested in connection with the illegal recruitment of children in a joint Interpol and local law enforcement operation in the West African nation of Ivory Coast. Seven different nationalities were represented in the rescued group, demonstrating the transnational nature of child trafficking for labour on cocoa plantations.
The children told specially trained investigators they would regularly work 12 hours a day and receive no wages or education. Girls were found to be working seven-day weeks, attending to housemaid duties when not working in the plantations.
"These raids have uncovered a sophisticated, multinational trafficking arrangement in West Africa. Children have been reduced to a commodity to be bought and sold," said Tim Costello, World Vision Australia chief executive.
World Vision's Don't Trade Lives campaign has been lobbying Australian chocolate manufacturers to reassess their supply chains to ensure products that retailers and consumers buy are not unethically produced using the worst forms of child labour and human trafficking.
"As consumers, it is far more comfortable for us to suspend belief and keep eating chocolate. But the uncomfortable truth is that most chocolate manufacturers still cannot guarantee that their chocolate is free from child labour," said Mr Costello.
Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate will soon be made in Australia using ethically sourced cocoa beans.
It is estimated that in the Ivory Coast alone, more than 600,000 children work on cocoa fields. About half of these children do not go to school.
Research in West Africa - which produces 60% of the world's cocoa - reveals up to 80% of children in the cocoa fields are being exposed to dangerous practices such as the unprotected use of chemicals, carrying heavy loads, brush burning and using machetes.
By choosing ethical chocolate, Australian consumers can help ensure a fair price for poor cocoa farmers. Fairtrade certification also prohibits the use of forced or slave labour, including exploited child labour, ensuring workers won't have their rights infringed on cocoa plantations like those in the Ivory Coast.
You can say 'no' to goods made with child and trafficked labour. Check out the Good Chocolate Guide on the Don't Trade Lives website
A brief snippet of the Good Choc Guide, places where you can buy Fairtrade Chocolate are:
Bi-Lo
Coles
Handmade Naturals
IGA
Oxfam
Starbucks
Target
Woolworths
Macro Wholefoods
New Internationalist
Mrs Flannerys Natural Grocers
Just look out for the Fairtrade Logo!
Thanks to World Vision for most of this info!
Consumers face "uncomfortable truths" trying to guarantee their chocolate is free from child labour.
More than 50 children - aged between 11 and 16 - have been rescued and eight people arrested in connection with the illegal recruitment of children in a joint Interpol and local law enforcement operation in the West African nation of Ivory Coast. Seven different nationalities were represented in the rescued group, demonstrating the transnational nature of child trafficking for labour on cocoa plantations.
The children told specially trained investigators they would regularly work 12 hours a day and receive no wages or education. Girls were found to be working seven-day weeks, attending to housemaid duties when not working in the plantations.
"These raids have uncovered a sophisticated, multinational trafficking arrangement in West Africa. Children have been reduced to a commodity to be bought and sold," said Tim Costello, World Vision Australia chief executive.
World Vision's Don't Trade Lives campaign has been lobbying Australian chocolate manufacturers to reassess their supply chains to ensure products that retailers and consumers buy are not unethically produced using the worst forms of child labour and human trafficking.
"As consumers, it is far more comfortable for us to suspend belief and keep eating chocolate. But the uncomfortable truth is that most chocolate manufacturers still cannot guarantee that their chocolate is free from child labour," said Mr Costello.
Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate will soon be made in Australia using ethically sourced cocoa beans.
It is estimated that in the Ivory Coast alone, more than 600,000 children work on cocoa fields. About half of these children do not go to school.
Research in West Africa - which produces 60% of the world's cocoa - reveals up to 80% of children in the cocoa fields are being exposed to dangerous practices such as the unprotected use of chemicals, carrying heavy loads, brush burning and using machetes.
By choosing ethical chocolate, Australian consumers can help ensure a fair price for poor cocoa farmers. Fairtrade certification also prohibits the use of forced or slave labour, including exploited child labour, ensuring workers won't have their rights infringed on cocoa plantations like those in the Ivory Coast.
You can say 'no' to goods made with child and trafficked labour. Check out the Good Chocolate Guide on the Don't Trade Lives website
A brief snippet of the Good Choc Guide, places where you can buy Fairtrade Chocolate are:
Bi-Lo
Coles
Handmade Naturals
IGA
Oxfam
Starbucks
Target
Woolworths
Macro Wholefoods
New Internationalist
Mrs Flannerys Natural Grocers
Just look out for the Fairtrade Logo!
Thanks to World Vision for most of this info!
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