Chocolate and Slavery, A Sad Combo
By Jenn (TinyChoices.com) | May 25, 2010
I was recently in an area of Manhattan I don’t usually frequent, and I was psyched when I walked past a fancy chocolate store, The Food Emporium Fine Chocolates. In I went!
This particular store was kind of a showcase for all kinds of gorgeous chocolates from all over the world, artisan-mades and gourmets and organics abounded. There were bars and truffles, and everything looked simply gorgeous– these chocolates all came from companies which understand the value of good packaging.
But the more I looked, the more I noticed a very obviously under-represented category of chocolate: fair-trade chocolate. I don’t care which “fair trade” agency certifies it, but I do prefer when I’m able to buy chocolate which I’m sure wasn’t made using child slaves for labor.
It’s a real problem. According to LaborRights.org, “The US Department of State estimates that more than 109,000 children in Cote d’Ivoire’s cocoa industry work under “the worst forms of child labor,” and that some 10,000 are victims of human trafficking or enslavement.”
Children are bought from their parents for as little as $50, with the promise that they’ll be given a better life and the chance to send money back home. This never happens, as “…these children, usually 12-to-14-years-old but sometimes younger, are forced to do hard manual labor 80 to 100 hours a week. They are paid nothing, are barely fed, are beaten regularly, and are often viciously beaten if they try to escape. Most will never see their families again.” [from FoodRevolution.org]
I mean, the really ridiculous thing is that we’re talking about chocolate. A luxury food for us, seen as a treat and a gift and a sensual pleasure to eat, is producing so many pain and suffering around the world.
So, while I was pondering all of this in that fancy Upper East Side chocolate store, I realized I had a choice to make. I could buy the bars which looked really, really good, or I could buy the bar which stated it was fair-trade. And I do mean bar, singular. In that whole shop, I only spotted one brand which was labeled fair-trade.
I bought it– a dark chocolate bar made by Shaman Chocolates, a company out of California, run by (an American-born, Huichol Indian-trained) shaman named Brant Secunda:
“Inspired by a visionary dream, Shaman Chocolates was created in 2002 as a way to provide ongoing economic support for the indigenous Huichol Indians of Mexico. Huichol Shaman and Healer Brant Secunda dreamt that people were eating chocolate and it was filling their bodies up with love, and that chocolate would be a way to help support the Huichols’ cultural survival. Chocolate is sacred to the Huichols who have used it for thousands of years in their ceremonies and as offerings to show their love for Mother Earth. Shaman Chocolates gives all of its profits to support three Huichol villages. Every bar you buy helps sustain the Huichols and keeps their ancient shamanic traditions alive.”
I mean, you can’t argue with that! Who doesn’t want to fill their bodies with chocolate and love, all the while supporting three Huichol villages? It’s a no-brainer, right? And the chocolate was good, and I thoroughly savored that bar.
But the bigger change which needs to happen is for fair-trade chocolate to become the standard, the norm, instead of the single option among dozens. It’s staggering and stunning and confusing to realize that Hersey Kisses, for example, are most likely made with child slave-produced chocolate. As is the chocolate contained within that big red satin heart-shaped box, given with the deepest intentions of love.
To know if a chocolate is fair-trade, either look for the logo on the packaging, or check out and memorize this comprehensive list. And if it turns out that your favorite company is using “dirty chocolate,” then consider writing or calling to give them your opinion, and let them know that their customers are aware of the issue and pressuring for change.
And I just want to add that I don’t always make the fair-trade choice, when I’m buying chocolate. Since many bars are not certified, frequently it’s not an option, and unfortunately I don’t have a huge amount of willpower over my desire for chocolate when I feel like I really, really need it. When presented with the option, I will choose the fair-trade choice, every time. But I’d like to get better about withholding from the conventional brands, and holding out for the fairer choice.
I’m wondering: how often do your ethics prevent you from enjoying/participating in something that you’d otherwise enjoy? When do you bend, and when do you not?
[Image by Pink Sherbert Photography]
Topics: Activism, Food | 6 Comments »
bringing about chance with your wallet can be super effective. But sometimes you have to be a bit vocal, ask where the free trade products are and if there are none, be prepared to walk out with nothing. Yes half the time you get a sales rep that could not care less, but the other half you could be talking to the owner, they will notice when you buy nothing!
oops that should be fair trade, not free trade!
Hey Pipp! Great point, about telling the owner what I (as a paying customer) want. I’m planning on sending this post to that store, to alert them to this issue. Thanks!
i didn’t realize the cocoa trade was so ugly. i’ll definitely be paying more attention to what i buy.
i was glad to see the chocolate we usually buy (365 brand) made the cut.
I have a favorite Fair Trade and Organic chocolate maker in Seattle, they are called Theo Chocolates and you can buy their amazing chocolate online or recommend that your neighborhood stores start selling them :)
Check them out at http://www.theochocolate.com/
Wow, thanks for this post. I’m a chocoholic and I didn’t realize how extensive this problem is. I will certainly be more attentive. Most of my chocolate is from Bavaria, so now I will have to do some research!