Fair trade chocolate means justice tastes sweet

Idea exchange
April 2003

Fair trade chocolate means justice tastes sweet
Though America's chocolate companies reap large profits from sales to children, chocolate is no treat for the children who work on cocoa farms in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Some work instead of going to school, while others work for little payment or as slaves.

Slavery and child trafficking in West Africa (origin of half the world's cocoa) were recently uncovered by the U.S. State Department. The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) studied 1,500 farms in the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon. They found 284,000 children working hazardous tasks such as using machetes and applying pesticides without necessary protection, and 12,500 child cocoa workers who had no relatives in the area—suggesting that they were trafficked as slaves.

Cocoa farmers also face severe poverty. The IITA reported that annual cocoa revenues are $30 to $108 per household member. All this is caused by cocoa prices too low to allow farmers to meet basic needs.

International Monetary Fund policies often contribute to the misery by demanding agricultural deregulation and cuts in public services. In 2001, the U.S. chocolate industry and a group of non-governmental organizations agreed to a "protocol to eliminate the worst forms of child labor in the growing and processing of cocoa beans." This is a positive move but the plan does not guarantee fair prices for cocoa farmers' harvests.

A more complete solution is Fair Trade, which guarantees a minimum price per pound, prohibits child slavery and forced labor, and ensures that children can go to school. Fair Trade chocolate and cocoa are now available in the U.S.

Global Exchange is coordinating a nationwide Fair Trade chocolate campaign to build the market for Fair Trade among retailers and companies, and to help schools and organizations set up Fair Trade chocolate fundraisers.

Here's how you can help:

1. Gather children in your class together to join Global Exchange's M&M/Mars campaign:

The U.S. chocolate industry, including M&M/Mars, has pledged to work towards ending child slavery by 2005. However, their plan does not guarantee fair prices for cocoa, which is the only way to ensure that slavery and poverty are brought to an end, according to Global Exchange. M&M/Mars has refused to sell Fair Trade chocolate even after over 200 organizations and thousands of consumers have asked them to do so! M&M/Mars is a market leader in the US and worldwide. Their 3 owners are worth a combined $27 billion. Surely they can afford to offer the Fair Trade alternative! Join us today to tell M&M/Mars "No matter what the shade, make my M&M's Fair Trade!
What You Can Do!
SEND A FREE FAX from Global Exchange.
WRITE a letter to M&M/MARS. Use the Global Exchange FAX as a sample letter. Send your letter to:

Paul Michaels, President, M&M/Mars Inc.
6885 Elm St.
McLean, VA 22101

CALL M&M/MARS at 1-800-627-7852. Click here for brief background information you can use for your call.
E-MAIL M&M/MARS at consumer.affairs@mmmars.com and askmms@mmmars.com. Use the Global Exchange FAX as a sample letter.

2. Switch your school/organizational fundraiser to Fair Trade products.

3. Teach children about Fair Trade! Global Exchange has materials for grades K-12.

4. Buy Fair Trade chocolate and cocoa. For a list of sources, see www.fairtradecertified.org.

5. Build public support for Fair Trade using Global Exchange's Action Kit.

For more:
SOTE's Stat house on Fair Trade and cocoa

Contact Global Exchange: 415-575-5538 or melissa@globalexchange.org or visit www.globalexchange.org/cocoa.

Call to Action's Focus on Sweatshops Information/Action packet is available for $5. Telephone: 773-404-0004.

Shop at fair trade Sophia's Market.

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