The human cost of chocolate

**Curt James** · 09-21-2011, 02:43 AM

CNN/blogs

The CNN Freedom Project: Ending Modern-Day Slavery

The human cost of chocolate

September 19, 2011

It may be unthinkable that the chocolate we enjoy could come from the hands of children working as slaves. In Ivory Coast and other cocoa-producing countries, there are an estimated 100,000 children working the fields, many against their will, to create the chocolate delicacies enjoyed by Western countries.

Ten years ago, two U.S. lawmakers took action to put a stop to child labor in the cocoa industry. Despite pushback from the industry, the Harkin-Engel Protocol, also known as the Cocoa Protocol, was signed into law on September 19, 2001. On the 10th anniversary of the legislation, CNN takes a look at what effect this protocol has had on the cocoa industry.

Here’s a primer on some of the major issues surrounding the issue of slave labor in the cocoa industry:

Where does cocoa come from?

Some 70 to 75 percent of the world’s cocoa beans are grown on small farms in West Africa, including the Ivory Coast, according to the World Cocoa Foundation and the International Cocoa Initiative.

Does Ivory Coast allow children to work on these farms?

No, child labor is illegal and since the implementation of the Cocoa Protocol in 2001, the chocolate industry along with governments and human rights groups have worked to end the practice. Yet, the U.S. State Department estimates more than 100,000 children are involved in the worst forms of child labor on cocoa farms throughout Ivory Coast.

Some are the children of cocoa farmers but many other youths are smuggled into Ivory Coast from Mali and Burkina Faso to work on cocoa plantations, according to the International Labor Rights Forum.

What exactly is the “Cocoa Protocol”?

Ten years ago, U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel, D-New York, and Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, introduced legislation mandating a labeling system for chocolate. After the industry raised concerns, a compromise was reached that required chocolate companies to voluntarily certify they had stopped the practice of child labor.

The certification process would not involve labeling products “child-labor-free,” as initially proposed. Instead, it calls for public reporting by African governments, establishment of an audit system and poverty remediation by 2005.

The deadline had to be extended to 2008 and again to 2010.

Today, many aid groups say some of the provisions have still not been met.

So has the Cocoa Protocol had any success in ending child labor in the cocoa industry in the past 10 years?

It’s hard to say. Ivory Coast has had further economic problems following its civil war from 2002 to 2004. Chocolate exporters and manufacturers say the war and its aftermath have hampered their efforts to eradicate child labor.

“Honestly, it’s hard to see anybody saying that this protocol has attained the goals that were set out in it,” said Judy Gearhart, executive director of the International Labor rights forum.

Chris Bayer, a Tulane University researcher, spent five years in the Ivory Coast and Ghana monitoring the protocol’s plan and studying the scope of the problem. “Unfortunately, over the last 10 years we have seen very little implementation of the actual commitments,” he said. “Industry did not live up to the Harkin-Engel protocol. The issues are systemic. Children are still working.”

The International Cocoa Initiative was set up by the protocol to bring all parties together to address the worst forms of child labor in the supply chain. The ICI board has representatives from the major cocoa processors and chocolate manufacturers. It says progress is being made.

“Five of the six commitments made in the protocol have been completed,” the group said in an e-mail statement. “And governments of cocoa producing countries, ILO, the OECD, independent foundations, members of the cocoa supply chain and ICI itself are ACTIVELY working on the sixth commitment — to improve the livelihoods of cocoa growers the infrastructure in cocoa communities farmers organizations, educational facilities etc. Substantial funds are being expended on these activities.”

From CNN.com

**Dark Geared God** · 09-21-2011, 03:44 PM

Now i love coco even more

**OfficerFarva** · 09-21-2011, 04:09 PM

It could be worse, they could live in the USA with no job opportunities.

**Dark Geared God** · 09-21-2011, 05:17 PM

Originally Posted by OfficerFarva

It could be worse, they could live in the USA with no job opportunities.

**DOMS** · 09-21-2011, 05:58 PM

The suffering makes the chocolate taste better.

**LightBearer** · 09-21-2011, 06:23 PM

so wait we got chocolate people making our chocolate

**Dark Geared God** · 09-21-2011, 08:04 PM

Originally Posted by DOMS

The suffering makes the chocolate taste better.

Add the tears of a small child and its some great tasting coffee

**ExLe** · 09-22-2011, 02:03 AM

Originally Posted by LightBearer

so wait we got chocolate people making our chocolate

Reminds me of an old joke from high school

Why do they put a silver foil under the wrapper around a Nestle Crunch bar?

So "the blacks" won't bite their fingers

**myCATpowerlifts** · 09-22-2011, 10:22 AM

You guys are horrible.

I don't eat chocolate already. Now I will guilt my girlfriend and friends into stopping as well.

**DOMS** · 09-22-2011, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by myCATpowerlifts

You guys are horrible.

I don't eat chocolate already. Now I will guilt my girlfriend and friends into stopping as well.

Jokes aside, you, like many western people, are missing the point.

The children in those countries are certainly living a life that wouldn't be tolerated in the western world. What you, and people like you, are missing is that those children don't live in a western world. They live in the third world.

It sucks that they're working for very little. However, when you consider the alternative isn't working at all, and starving, you realize that they're making the best of a shitty situation.

So yeah, boycott the chocolate. Stop the need of producing chocolate where the poor live. That way they can get back to living a life of even lower poverty, and death.

It'd be nice if the whole world was like the US, UK, or Germany; but it's not.

**Curt James** · 09-22-2011, 11:52 AM

Better boycott everything.

How much 'forced labor' fuels your lifestyle?

By Parija Kavilanz

September 22, 2011: 11:33 AM EDT

Was your smartphone made in a sweatshop? Were those diapers made by slaves? Were children in another country forced to put that stitching in your designer jeans?

Consumers will be able to find out after the debut Thursday of a new app and website that measure the forced labor in everyday products. Created by the U.S. State Department and a watchdog group, the free app and website will make consumers aware of their "slavery footprint."

"This is a new way to create awareness about the issue of modern slavery and empower consumers," said Ambassador Luis CdeBaca, director of the State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.

"If we can do carbon footprints, why not slavery footprints?" Call + Response, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending modern slavery, partnered with CdeBaca's office a year ago and received funding from the State Department to develop the products.

Forced labor is a situation where anyone is forced to work without pay, said Justin Dillon, Call + Response's president. The "slavery footprint" app and survey launched Thursday at slaveryfootprint.org. The survey asks users 11 lifestyle questions. These include:

Where do you live?
What's in your medicine cabinet?
What's in your closet?
What gadgets do you own?
How much jewelry do you own?
Also, have you ever paid for sex?

Afterwards the survey uses a formula based on where the raw materials in the products come from and where the finished products are made, and then assigns a "slavery footprint" score.

Some results: 9 people or "slaves" were used to mine rubies in jewelry; 3.1 individuals were used to make bikes; 1.9 to make diapers; .9 to make cotton T-shirts, and 3.2 to make a smartphone.

Nine is very high, while .9 is low, said Dillon. The ideal number, though, is zero, he added. "We're not naming any brands because the idea right now is to inform consumers about forced labor behind everyday products and not to put brands on the spot," Dillon said.

Eventually, subsequent versions of the "slavery footprint" tools will allow consumers to enter specific brands. With the slavery footprint app, the user can snap a photo of a product and send a message to the company inquiring about its position on forced labor.

The app also leverages social networks, like Facebook and its "check-in" feature, which automatically lets stores know that the user wants a slavery-free product.

"We want consumers to start that conversation with companies," said Dillon. This project was a "massive undertaking on a very complex issue," he said. The idea started with picking 450 products -- not specific brands -- that are popularly used, such as bikes, laptops, diapers, coffee, cotton T-shirts, cosmetics and then investigate forced labor used both to source raw materials and to manufacture the items.

The issue of forced labor continues to drift in and out of the social consciousness but hasn't successfully yet stuck in people's mind, he said. "The challenge has been to hit people with more hard facts and sustain their attention," said Dillon. He hopes the slavery footprint survey and app will change that.

From CNN.com

**myCATpowerlifts** · 09-22-2011, 12:06 PM

Originally Posted by DOMS

Jokes aside, you, like many western people, are missing the point.

The children in those countries are certainly living a life that wouldn't be tolerated in the western world. What you, and people like you, are missing is that those children don't live in a western world. They live in the third world.

It sucks that they're working for very little. However, when you consider the alternative isn't working at all, and starving, you realize that they're making the best of a shitty situation.

So yeah, boycott the chocolate. Stop the need of producing chocolate where the poor live. That way they can get back to living a life of even lower poverty, and death.

It'd be nice if the whole world was like the US, UK, or Germany; but it's not.

Sounds like something you, a western person, would say.
Just come up with some garbage for why you shouldn't give a fuck.
Then go on about your merry way, taking advantage of this human atrocity.
Way to go.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing"
- Edmund Burke

Here's an idea...maybe instead of SLAVERY, they could just...you know....WORK for themselves? Earn that money for themselves and better their lives that way?
Oh no, didn't think of that did you?
Just put your blinders back on, and go back to your ignorant life.

**KelJu** · 09-22-2011, 12:26 PM

Originally Posted by DOMS

Jokes aside, you, like many western people, are missing the point.

The children in those countries are certainly living a life that wouldn't be tolerated in the western world. What you, and people like you, are missing is that those children don't live in a western world. They live in the third world.

It sucks that they're working for very little. However, when you consider the alternative isn't working at all, and starving, you realize that they're making the best of a shitty situation.

So yeah, boycott the chocolate. Stop the need of producing chocolate where the poor live. That way they can get back to living a life of even lower poverty, and death.

It'd be nice if the whole world was like the US, UK, or Germany; but it's not.

No, you have a few people over there exploiting a lot of extremely poor people, making a ton of money off of it before selling it on commodities exchanges.

This story is no different than how we get diamonds, or cheap electronics. You ever buy Foxcon electronics? I know I did. Their shit was cheap and top notch. It wasn't until a few years ago that I heard about the conditions of their factories and that they had the highest suicide rate of any company in the world due to the working conditions. So, I stopped buying foxcon.

I am sure that there are a ton of other things that I buy that has quite a bit of blood on it, but the best I can do is stop buying something once it has been brought to my attention.

I would also like to point out again that you negged me for laughing about a DEA agent being killed, and I said you were a hypocrite for being unsympathetic to the plight of human suffering. This is a perfect example. The only difference is I'm not a homo who negs regular IM members!

**juggernaut** · 09-22-2011, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by OfficerFarva

It could be worse, they could live in the USA with no job opportunities.

Agreed. This is probably not the right thing to say, but I dont really give a shit right now, about what's happening in the world or foreign countries. I only care about America now. We need to fix the shit that's happening at home FIRST. We're broke, millions don't have jobs, we need better health care, jobs are outsourced when they should come to us first. I give to charities, but I do within the reach of my own community where I know it will make a difference.

Someone serve me an 80% cocoa bar right now. Fuck everyone.

**Big Pimpin** · 09-22-2011, 12:40 PM

Christ, iThings are built by 14yo Vietnamese kids and nobody gives a shit.

**DOMS** · 09-22-2011, 12:43 PM

Originally Posted by myCATpowerlifts

Sounds like something you, a western person, would say.
Just come up with some garbage for why you shouldn't give a fuck.
Then go on about your merry way, taking advantage of this human atrocity.
Way to go.

So, what's your alternative? What's your incredible solution for the problem. No, really, dazzle me with your worldly wisdom.

Originally Posted by myCATpowerlifts

Here's an idea...maybe instead of SLAVERY, they could just...you know....WORK for themselves? Earn that money for themselves and better their lives that way?
Oh no, didn't think of that did you?
Just put your blinders back on, and go back to your ignorant life.

First off, you need to look up what slavery is, because it's clear you don't know what the word means.

Work for themselves? Tell me this isn't really your solution... Holy shit, you're not much for thinking...

**DOMS** · 09-22-2011, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by KelJu

No, you have a few people over there exploiting a lot of extremely poor people, making a ton of money off of it before selling it on commodities exchanges.

This story is no different than how we get diamonds, or cheap electronics. You ever buy Foxcon electronics? I know I did. Their shit was cheap and top notch. It wasn't until a few years ago that I heard about the conditions of their factories and that they had the highest suicide rate of any company in the world due to the working conditions. So, I stopped buying foxcon.

I am sure that there are a ton of other things that I buy that has quite a bit of blood on it, but the best I can do is stop buying something once it has been brought to my attention.

I would also like to point out again that you negged me for laughing about a DEA agent being killed, and I said you were a hypocrite for being unsympathetic to the plight of human suffering. This is a perfect example. The only difference is I'm not a homo who negs regular IM members!

And what's your answer to the problem. It's gotta be at least as hilarious as MCP's.

I'm against killing a man for doing his job as laid down by the laws of his country. Here, I'm saying that if the kids didn't have the work they have, they'd starve and die. Only a total dumb fuck would think that's being hypocritical.

I never bought Foxconn. It looked shitty. I've mostly used MSI.

**myCATpowerlifts** · 09-22-2011, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by DOMS

So, what's your alternative? What's your incredible solution for the problem. No, really, dazzle me with your worldly wisdom.

First off, you need to look up what slavery is, because it's clear you don't know what the word means.

Work for themselves? Tell me this isn't really your solution... Holy shit, you're not much for thinking...

The hell are you on son?

Everyone knows what slavery is.

The Slave drivers force the kids to pick the damn cocoa, and then they (the drivers) sale it and make the profits.

Duh.

And the solution is to put them out of business.
Or hell I don't know...instead of killing iraqi's for shits, why not kill these african slave drivers instead?

Also, fuck foxconn, I have gone with asus or gigabyte in the past.

**myCATpowerlifts** · 09-22-2011, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by DOMS

And what's your answer to the problem. It's gotta be at least as hilarious as MCP's.

I'm against killing a man for doing his job as laid down by the laws of his country. Here, I'm saying that if the kids didn't have the work they have, they'd starve and die. Only a total dumb fuck would think that's being hypocritical.

I never bought Foxconn. It looked shitty. I've mostly used MSI.

And your whole solution is Fuck them, you're getting what you want, so you don't care?

You sound like a spoiled brat, princess.

**juggernaut** · 09-22-2011, 12:57 PM

Didnt say anything about slavery. This is all bullshit; someone give me a fucking Hersheys.

**OfficerFarva** · 09-22-2011, 01:14 PM

**DOMS** · 09-22-2011, 01:19 PM

Originally Posted by myCATpowerlifts

The hell are you on son?

Everyone knows what slavery is.

The Slave drivers force the kids to pick the damn cocoa, and then they (the drivers) sale it and make the profits.

Duh.

I don't know about you, but I actually read the article. No where in does it say that the children are held against there will or not being paid.

But I'm willing to admit I'm wrong when I am. So, do post the part of the article that I missed where it says that these things are happening.

Originally Posted by myCATpowerlifts

And the solution is to put them out of business.

And then what happens to the children? Now that they're not making anything. You gonna feed them on Unicorn meat and big cups of good thoughts?

Originally Posted by myCATpowerlifts

Also, fuck foxconn, I have gone with asus or gigabyte in the past.

Gigabyte is the other brand I like. I purchased an ASUS board once. When I plugged it my--at that time--video card, a GTX260, it covered four of the six SATA connector. That put ASUS on my do-not-buy list.

**DOMS** · 09-22-2011, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by myCATpowerlifts

And your whole solution is Fuck them, you're getting what you want, so you don't care?

You sound like a spoiled brat, princess.

They're own countries are letting them down. They need to fix their own shit. But pulling these jobs, that are feeding kids that they won't, is a questionable first step.

But yeah, ride your unicorn over there and pay them with leprechaun gold...

**DOMS** · 09-22-2011, 01:22 PM

Originally Posted by OfficerFarva

**KelJu** · 09-22-2011, 02:08 PM

Originally Posted by DOMS

And what's your answer to the problem. It's gotta be at least as hilarious as MCP's.

I'm against killing a man for doing his job as laid down by the laws of his country. Here, I'm saying that if the kids didn't have the work they have, they'd starve and die. Only a total dumb fuck would think that's being hypocritical.

What the fuck is this bullshit? Really? You are going to sit there and pretend to be ignorant about this? First of all, Africa has the worst child slavery problem in the world. Their child trafficking and slavery business is about as profitable as their cocoa business. We aren't talking about taking away a mans job. It has been all over the news for the the past year or so. Every 2 months I hear a story or news special about the Ivory coast or diamond mines, or where the fuck ever else they can force people to work for nothing. They buy children and ship them over there from all over Africa to work those plantations, and the ones that don't fucking die ain't making no money.

It is a shit ass existence. But you keep on pleading ignorance. End the end, they aren't white and don't wear a uniform, so you don't give a shit.

**myCATpowerlifts** · 09-22-2011, 02:13 PM

Originally Posted by DOMS

They're own countries are letting them down. They need to fix their own shit. But pulling these jobs, that are feeding kids that they won't, is a questionable first step.

But yeah, ride your unicorn over there and pay them with leprechaun gold...

Yea because obviously that's going to happen soon

**IronAddict** · 09-22-2011, 02:28 PM

Wow, now chocolate! That just completes the circle, my nike shoes made by a kid in Vietnam, my clothes made in Singapore made by a kid, my toilet made by kids in Hong Kong...See where i'm going.

**DOMS** · 09-22-2011, 03:31 PM

Originally Posted by KelJu

What the fuck is this bullshit? Really? You are going to sit there and pretend to be ignorant about this?

I'm willing to be that I know more about Africa than you do. It's a study of mine for one of the jobs that I do.

Originally Posted by KelJu

First of all, Africa has the worst child slavery problem in the world.

It has the worst slavery problem in the world. 8% of Niger are slaves right now. 1.8 million people.

However, not everyone that works in Africa is a slave. But feel free to make up whatever shit you want in this discussion. I must've missed the part where it stated the kids were slaves.

Originally Posted by KelJu

It is a shit ass existence. But you keep on pleading ignorance. End the end, they aren't white and don't wear a uniform, so you don't give a shit.

Ignorant is what you are. With a minor is making shit up. I know it's bad over there. Much more than you seem to.

You are correct in that I don't give a rat's ass about them. They do it to themselves. They've done it for thousands of years. The only time that all the shit abated when during European rule. Then they kicked the Europeans out. They didn't try to work with them. They didn't try to learn. The just booted them out and called it a "win." Now it's "Boo, hoo! Come help us!" The Belgians even offered to do a transition, but they Africans said "no".

I'm all for not buying anything from Africa. That'll teach 'em.

I also can't help but notice that your post is pretty fucking short on how to fix the problem.

**DOMS** · 09-22-2011, 03:33 PM

Originally Posted by myCATpowerlifts

Yea because obviously that's going to happen soon

I'll be surprised if it even happens. It's been at least 4000 years (written and historical evidence) of shit so far.

**myCATpowerlifts** · 09-22-2011, 03:57 PM

Originally Posted by DOMS

I'll be surprised if it even happens. It's been at least 4000 years (written and historical evidence) of shit so far.

That's because it's so damned hot and arid there!

It was over 100 degrees here for 80 straight days in south Texas.
And I've been pissed as fuck. I'm sure you can tell from all my posts in the last 4 months.

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