The Chocolate Trade

Where Does All Our Chocolate Come From?

Cote D'Ivore-
The Current Situation on Chocolate, Child Trafficking and Slavery.

Cote d’Ivoire is a country in the west of Africa which produces more  than 40% of the world’s cocoa crop.

In 2001 reports confirmed widespread child labor on cocoa farms Cote d’Ivoire  and hundreds of children being trafficked from nearby Mali. The conditions these  children were working in was characterized as dangerous and they were forced to  work long hours.

1.  In 2002 it was discovered that 284,000 children trapped in forced labor in the West  African cocoa industry. The majority of these (200,000) were to be found in Cote  d’Ivoire. Many of these child laborers were discovered to have been trafficked from  Mali, Burkina Faso, and Togo.

2.  The 2000 US State Department Human Rights report said “ It is estimated that some  15,000 Malian children work on Ivorian cocoa and coffee plantations. Many are  under 12 years-of-age, sold into indentured servitude for $140 (100,000 FCFA), and  work 12-hour days for $135 to $189 (95,000 to 125,000 FCFA) per year.” The vast  majority of children will be working on cocoa plantations. 

Industry said they would guarantee the end of trafficked labor in the cocoa industry  by 2005. They have failed to do this. They say they will cover half the farms in Ghana  and Cote d’Ivoire by 2008—but even this will not make sure all farms are free from  using trafficked children—they say it’s too difficult

What progress has actually been made? The chocolate industry has put some pilot  projects in place, which help to encourage education and train farmers to be more  efficient, but this does not address the real problem, which is to stop the use of  trafficked labor.

 One Voice to end Slavery/Justone and Stop the Traffik have created the Sex and Chocolate Campaign bringing awareness, creating networks and mobilizing everyday people to end this injustice.