Do we really have to have slavery in our chocolate? 
United States of America (Press Release) February 7, 2008 --
Do we really have to have slavery in our chocolate? Do we have to have
tens of thousands of kids being beaten, starved, made to work long hours with machetes and hoes, exposed to pesticides without protective gear, all so that
the price paid to cocoa farmers remains just about 1¢ on the dollar we pay for a
chocolate bar?
Chef Marcus Guiliano says “No” to all of the above. He says the best answer is Fair Trade in Cocoa.
“Okay,” says Chef Marcus, “we know that global agribusiness is so rigged that it’s more like organized crime than a free market. It’s all about subsidies for rich farmers in rich countries.
“Which means that poor farmers in poor countries have very few options in terms of growing something they can export to rich markets. While we’re dumping our subsidized crops on world markets, the only things they can grow for export are often coffee, tea and cocoa.
“Why? Because we can’t grow those tropical crops ourselves.
“But that means there’s often too much cocoa on the market, the price crashes and it crushes small farmers. And because they’re stuck in poverty they do desperate stuff, like buying little boys for $30 from even more impoverished families and working them as slaves.“
The power to change all this? “Well, you’d think that Hershey’s and Mars, the really big companies, would want to change it. They say they do, but ultimately they’ve chosen not to rock the boat. They buy their cocoa from international exchanges that blend in cocoa from slave operations with everyone else’s so you have no idea what you’re buying.”
Most of the world’s cocoa comes from West Africa, with Indonesia and South America filling out the roster. 43% alone comes from Cote D’Ivoire, the state most associated with slavery in the business.
“It has been the rule that if you wanted to avoid slavery grown chocolate you bought South American. That’s still the most practical way to do it, although I know there’s an effort by some West African producers to get Fair Trade certification. The way to be sure there’s no slavery in your chocolate is to examine the packaging, and research the companies that produce it.
“I like Green and Black, who were pioneers in this field, plus The Endangered Species Chocolate Company, Dagoba Organic Chocolate, and Divine Chocolate, which comes from a Ghanaian cooperative. Then there’s David Wolfe, the raw food guru, who has a great line of nibs, powder, whole beans and chocolate treats.
“Until the majors-- Hershey, Mars and Nestle, change their business in a fundamental way, everyone who wants to stop this horror should just make sure that whatever chocolate, cocoa or cocoa nibs they buy has the Fair Trade symbol. That way the farmers get to make a living and we get the best chocolate we can buy.”
tens of thousands of kids being beaten, starved, made to work long hours with machetes and hoes, exposed to pesticides without protective gear, all so that
the price paid to cocoa farmers remains just about 1¢ on the dollar we pay for a
chocolate bar?
Chef Marcus Guiliano says “No” to all of the above. He says the best answer is Fair Trade in Cocoa.
“Okay,” says Chef Marcus, “we know that global agribusiness is so rigged that it’s more like organized crime than a free market. It’s all about subsidies for rich farmers in rich countries.
“Which means that poor farmers in poor countries have very few options in terms of growing something they can export to rich markets. While we’re dumping our subsidized crops on world markets, the only things they can grow for export are often coffee, tea and cocoa.
“Why? Because we can’t grow those tropical crops ourselves.
“But that means there’s often too much cocoa on the market, the price crashes and it crushes small farmers. And because they’re stuck in poverty they do desperate stuff, like buying little boys for $30 from even more impoverished families and working them as slaves.“
The power to change all this? “Well, you’d think that Hershey’s and Mars, the really big companies, would want to change it. They say they do, but ultimately they’ve chosen not to rock the boat. They buy their cocoa from international exchanges that blend in cocoa from slave operations with everyone else’s so you have no idea what you’re buying.”
Most of the world’s cocoa comes from West Africa, with Indonesia and South America filling out the roster. 43% alone comes from Cote D’Ivoire, the state most associated with slavery in the business.
“It has been the rule that if you wanted to avoid slavery grown chocolate you bought South American. That’s still the most practical way to do it, although I know there’s an effort by some West African producers to get Fair Trade certification. The way to be sure there’s no slavery in your chocolate is to examine the packaging, and research the companies that produce it.
“I like Green and Black, who were pioneers in this field, plus The Endangered Species Chocolate Company, Dagoba Organic Chocolate, and Divine Chocolate, which comes from a Ghanaian cooperative. Then there’s David Wolfe, the raw food guru, who has a great line of nibs, powder, whole beans and chocolate treats.
“Until the majors-- Hershey, Mars and Nestle, change their business in a fundamental way, everyone who wants to stop this horror should just make sure that whatever chocolate, cocoa or cocoa nibs they buy has the Fair Trade symbol. That way the farmers get to make a living and we get the best chocolate we can buy.”
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