Take Action
The UK chocolate market is worth £3.7 billion per year and growing. However, the problems of forced child labour, human trafficking and slavery in the chocolate industry are often unknown to the average consumer.
As chocolate is a traditional gift for many occasions and a common snack, so we want to raise awareness.
A gift of chocolate for your loved ones or for yourself should not even include the possibility of child labour.
But boycotting chocolate in general is not the goal as it takes away the livelihood of the farmers. Buy ethical instead. See below what other actions you can take!
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
BUY ETHICALLY
There are many steps chocolate companies can take to ensure that human rights are observed in their cocoa productions. Those reach from independent third-party audits controlling the farms to paying a living income to the farmers. It is easy to get confused between the white- and greenwashing of the big firms. That’s why we have compiled a (non-exhaustive) list of chocolate brands that produce ethically:
Alter Eco
Beyond Good
Cacao Crudo
Chocolate and Love
Cocoa Loco
Cox & Co.
Divine
Doisy & Dam
Eat Your Hat
Endangered Species
Ocelot
Pacari
Shaman
Seed and Bean
Theo Chocolate
Tony’s Chocolonely
Willie’s Cacao
INFORM YOURSELF
It all starts with being aware of the issues. One core problem in chocolate is the cheap price of cocoa. Many farmers are currently paid less than $1 a day, which is far below the extreme poverty line. This forces them or their children respectively to resort to child labour. Paying a living income is the first step in the right direction.
SPREAD THE MESSAGE
Discuss the topic with your family, friends and colleagues, and spread the message also on social media. We have prepared templates that you are welcome (see button below) or create your own story/ post with #StopChildlabour2022 and #SupplyChainJustice. Let’s work together to reach as many people as possible.
SIGN THE PETITION
Currently, chocolate manufacturers cannot be held accountable for the human rights violations that happen in their supply chains. Nevertheless, they have considerable influence on the situation on the ground. While they have promised again and again since 2000, that they would end child labour in the cocoa production, little has happened. We support a “Failure to Prevent Act” which would hold corporations accountable for the human rights violations they could have prevented. For more information