As Valentine's Day rolls around again this year, Americans are undoubtedly stocking up on their beloved boxes of assorted chocolates. From Whitman's to Russell Stover to Godiva, consumers are bombarded with a seemingly infinite supply of the sweet confection. However, very few people stop to wonder where their chocolate came from. What they might be shocked to learn is that the hazelnut truffle they are enjoying is actually the result of dangerous child labor. In the Ivory Coast especially, young children are working with machetes and pesticides to harvest the cocoa beans that the world's biggest cocoa producer is famous for. Most of these children are not getting an education because they spend all their time working. Luckily, organizations around the world are starting to take action to limit the harsh conditions of this child labor. For example, the Confectionery Manufacturers Association of Canada is pursuing an initiative to oversee safe procedures on the farms. In the United States, Senator Tom Harkin introduced legislation in 2002 to require labels on chocolate bars stating "free from child labor." Instead, the motion now requires a label on every bag of cocoa beans. However, problems with documentation are making this noble idea difficult to carry out. The fact that the Ivory Coast is in the middle of a stalemated civil war presents yet another challenge. I cannot help but be reminded of the controversy over "blood diamonds." The two things so famously associated with women and Valentine's Day (chocolate and diamond jewelry) are now both under attack for their connections with pain and bloodshed in Africa. The question becomes, is there anything the average American can and will do? Are we really willing to give up our chocolate as a protest against cruel labor? On Valentine's Day, as on every other day, my guess is absolutely not. So the children will continue to suffer.
1 comment:
Although I am aware that cocoa mostly comes from Africa and that child labor is sometimes associated to this primary product, this article & blog reminded me of how big the issue is here. In my opinion, something can be done. Workers who work on cocoa plantations should be required to have a minimum amount of education. This would automatically exclude all young children from being hired. In addition, workers should be paid fair wages. I would be willing to pay extra for a box of chocolates, even twice the price, if I knew that absolutely no abuse was involved.
The problem is that these two solutions are not that simple. As mentioned in the blog, the Ivory Coast has been enduring a civil war conflict for years now. The country and the government need to pull themselves together and start rebuilding and passing new laws that will prevent child labor, for example.
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