Economics of cocoa
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This article discusses child labor and human trafficking related to west African cocoa production.
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[edit] West African production of cocoa
Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) is the world's largest producer and exporter of cocoa, with west Africa collectively supplying nearly 46% of world cocoa.[1][2] Large chocolate producers such as Cadbury, Hershey's, and Nestle buy cocoa at commodities exchanges where Ivorian cocoa is mixed with other cocoa, as reported in a study by Oxfam.[2]
[edit] Children in cocoa production
30% of children under age 15 in sub-Saharan Africa engage in child labor, mostly in agricultural activities including cocoa farming.[3] Of the 200,000 children working in the Ivory Coast cocoa industry, a maximum of 6% (12,000 children) may be victims of human trafficking or slavery.[4]
[edit] Studies and reports
[edit] 1998
- A 1998 report from the Ivory Coast office of UNICEF concluded that some Ivory Coast farmers use enslaved children, many of them from Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin and Togo.[5].
[edit] 2001
- The report "A Taste of Slavery: How Your Chocolate May be Tainted"[5][6][7] won a George Polk Award. It claimed that traffickers promise paid work, housing, and education to children who are forced to labour and undergo severe abuse, that some children are held forcibly on farms and work up to 100 hours per week, and that attempted escapees are beaten. It quoted a former slave: "The beatings were a part of my life" and "when you didn't hurry, you were beaten."[5][6][7] See also [8][9][10]
- The BBC reported that some children from Sikasso, Mali, were believed sold as slaves.[11] According to the article, 15,000 children from Mali, some under age 11, were producing cocoa in the Cote d'Ivoire, and Mali's Save the Children Fund director described "young children carrying 6kg of cocoa sacks so heavy that they have wounds all over their shoulders."[11]
- A British television documentary[12] claimed that many Ivory Coast cocoa plantations use forced labor. A ship was found near West Africa allegedly carrying child slaves.[12]
- The Chocolate Manufacturers Association (see above) acknowledged that slaves harvested some cocoa.[13]
[edit] 2002
- S. Chanthavong reported that children in neighboring countries are often found traveling or begging and lured to the Ivory Coast, where they are sold.[14]
[edit] 2005
- A report from the International Labor Organization noted that of the 200,000 children working on cocoa farms in the Ivory Coast, 12,000 are not working with or in the vicinity of their relatives, suggesting possible trafficking in a maximum of 6% of cases of child labor.[4] [4]
- One book was published: Lowell J. Satre, Chocolate on Trial: Slavery, Politics & the Ethics of Business, Ohio University Press (2005), 308 pages, hardcover ISBN 0-8214-1625-1, trade paperback ISBN 0-8214-1626-X
[edit] 2006
- A study[1] showed many children working on small farms in the Ivory Coast, often on family farms. Over 11,000 people working on small Ivorian cocoa farms were surveyed.
- Another book was published: Carol Off, Bitter Chocolate:Investigating the Dark Side of the World's Most Seductive Sweet. Random House Canada (2006), 336 pages, hardcover. ISBN 978-0-679-31319-9 (0-679-31319-2)
[edit] 2007
- UNICEF's Representative in Côte d’Ivoire, stated that:
Likewise, children from neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso, Togo and Mali are brought to Côte d’Ivoire to work in its robust cocoa farming industry, among other outlets for child labour. Their rights are not respected and they are exposed to wide-ranging exploitation and abuse. [1]
- The International Labor Organization [15] and BBC[2] released reports.
- A report funded by the U.S. Department of Labor concluded that "Industry and the Governments of Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana have taken steps to investigate the problem and are implementing projects that address issues identified in the Protocol."[16]
[edit] 2008
- Fortune magazine reported that "little progress has been made".
[edit] Certification process
Efforts are underway to establish an industry-wide voluntary certification process for cocoa produced without the use of child labor.[16] However, these efforts are not yet complete, and there are currently only a few small independent firms claiming to produce chocolate without the use of child labor or human trafficking (see Economics of cocoa#Companies).
[edit] Harkin-Engel Protocol
The Harkin-Engel Protocol of 2001 (see Appendix 1 of[16] ) was a commitment by the industry groups World Cocoa Foundation and Chocolate Manufacturers Association (now known as the Chocolate Council of the National Confectioners Association) to develop and implement voluntary standards to certify cocoa produced without the "worst forms of child labor," (defined according to the International Labor Organization's Convention 182) by the year 2005. This deadline was not met. In 2004, a Verification Working Group was funded by industry; however, funding was discontinued in 2006.[16]
[edit] Organizations, activists and legislation
- In September 2005, Dutch member of parliament Femke Halsema filed a motion to abolish European imports of slave-processed cacao. [3]
- Statements have been issued by Anti-Slavery International [4], the Anti-Slavery Society[5], Fred E. Foldvary, the Organic Consumers Association[6] and StoptheTraffick UK.[7]
[edit] Companies
It is claimed that Fair Trade chocolate products contain no cocoa linked to trafficking.[15] It is also claimed that slave-grown cocoa is not a problem for South American chocolate[citation needed]. A list of companies claiming to sell fair trade chocolate can be found here. FLO-CERT certified cocoa producers can be found here. International Fair Trade Association-certified cocoa producers can be found here
[edit] See also
[edit] Further reading
- Henry W. Nevinson, A Modern Slavery, (1906), reprint Schocken (1968), ISBN 1-121-28400-0
[edit] References
- ^ a b Nkamleu, GB; Anne Kielland (2006). Modeling farmers’ decisions on child labor and schooling in the cocoa sector: a multinomial logit analysis in Cˆote d’Ivoire (PDF). Agricultural Economics, vol 35, pp 319-333.
- ^ a b Oxfam (2002). The cocoa market: A background study (PDF).
- ^ International Labor Organization (2007). Rooting out child labour from cocoa farms: Paper No. 4 Child labour monitoring – A partnership of communities and government.
- ^ a b c International Labor Organization (2005). Combatting Child Labour in Cocoa Growing.
- ^ a b c Raghavan, Sudarsan; Sumana Chatterjee (June 24, 2001). Slaves feed world's taste for chocolate: Captives common in cocoa farms of Africa. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- ^ a b Raghavan, Sudarsan (June 25, 2001). Two boys tell of descent into slavery. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- ^ a b Raghavan, Sudarsan (June 24, 2001). Traffickers target boys in cocoa trade. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- ^ SAJAers In The News (2002).
- ^ Foldvary, Fred (2001). Chocolate worker slavery. The Progress Report.
- ^ Chatterjee, Sumana (August 1, 2001). Chocolate Firms Launch Fight Against 'Slave Free' Labels. Philadelphia Inquirer.
- ^ a b Hawksley, Humphrey (2001). Mali's children in chocolate slavery. BBC.
- ^ a b Blewett, Kate; Brian Woods (2001). Slavery: A global investigation.
- ^ Chatterjee, Sumana (August 1, 2001). Chocolate Firms Launch Fight Against 'Slave Free' Labels. Philadelphia Inquirer.
- ^ Chanthavong, Samlanchith (2002). Chocolate and Slavery: Child Labor in Cote d'Ivoire. TED Case Studies Number 664. American University.
- ^ International Labor Organization (2007). Rooting out child labour from cocoa farms.
- ^ a b c d [Center for International Development and Technology Transfer of Tulane University] (October 31, 2007). First annual report: Oversight of public and private initiatives to eliminate the worst forms of child labor in the cocoa sector in Cote d-Ivoire and Ghana (PDF).
[edit] External links
[edit] Studies and reports
- TED Case Studies: Chocolate and Slavery: child labor in Cote d'Ivoire
- First annual report of Tulane University Payson Center project on Oversight of Public and Private Initiatives to Eliminate the Worst Forms of Child Labor in the Cocoa Sector in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana
- Industry response to Tulane University report
- Nkamleu and Kielland 2006 study in the journal Agricultural Economics
- Oxfam (2002) The cocoa market: a backgrond study.
[edit] Media reports
- The human cost of chocolate
- Slavery: A global investigation
- Mali's children in chocolate slavery. BBC News
- Continued exploitation of children in cocoa industry. BBC News
- Ivory Coast accuses chocolate companies. BBC News
- Slave-labour chocolate must go. CBC News
- A Taste of Slavery. Democracy Now!
- Chocolate and child slavery: a bitter brew. The Sunday Herald.
[edit] Editorials, Essays and Blogs
- Chocolate Worker Slavery
- John Robbins (2002) "Is There Slavery In Your Chocolate?" Earthsave magazine, Spring 2002 edition.
- Bloggers on Chocolate Slavery
- Chocolate/slavery redux. LundBlog
- Chocolate and slavery. chocolatework.com
[edit] Educational materials
[edit] Interviews
- Carol Off: Bitter Chocolate. The Writer's Cafe
- Carol Off-Bitter Chocolate. Bookbits.ca
- The Dark Side of Chocolate. Interview with Carol Off. CBC
- Dark chocolate: Journalist Carol Off on the not-so-sweet story. TVO
- Investigating Chocolate. Carol Off interview. CBC
[edit] Activism
- International Labor Rights Fund
- Cote d'Ivoire and Mali. Anti-slavery
- Make My Wonka Bar Fair Trade!
- Stop the Traffik: Chocolate Campaign
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