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Clare Nicholson
Ms. Gardner
English 10H, Period 2
26 October 2014
Child Labor: Consequences of Ignorance
Back in the eighth grade, my English teacher - whose Achilles heel happened to be
chocolate - exposed my class to an appalling article, discussing child labor in the chocolate
industry. To my own shock, this was the first time Id ever considered that, somewhere, there was
a child, even younger than myself, putting in strenuous hours, working in dangerous conditions,
treated like a slave to make cocoa bean into chocolate bar. Though the statistics concerning child
labor in this particular industry alone are terrifying, the horror of this tyranny does not end there:
it spans everywhere from the cocoa fields in West Africa to domestic labor in Cambodia to
crowded factories in China, leaving more than 150 million children around the globe, from age
five to fourteen, economically involved (At Issue: Child Labor). This overwhelming statistic
itself is a cry for change.
Yet, despite these horrors taking place around the globe, we, the consumers, the
unaffected, still indulge in the fruits of these childrens labors. We, the First World, those
protected by the law, remain indifferent to the unjust suffering of these children in countries that
are worlds different from our own.
So why is it that child labor is still so abundant in the world today? Considering the
history of some Second and Third World countries, you may realize that child labor isnt
presented as big deal because it has been present since the beginning. Because of this, it has
become widely accepted in many of these countries - and while the governments of many

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countries plagued by child labor strive for change, their citizens don't all do the same. To
employers, children make good workers because of their low employment cost. To parents and
families with children in the workforce, the financial benefit may outweigh the other factors.
First World countries, however, are a different story. The peak of child labor in Europe
and the United States occurred during the Industrial Revolution, and with labor laws closely
following, our history of child labor is brief and easily forgotten. Because of this, the First World
now seems somewhat oblivious to the fact that child labor is still a tremendous issue elsewhere,
not understanding its effects on the countries where it is present.
Concerning those people in the First World countries, unaware of the seriousness of child
labor, let us educate them. Let the facts change their actions so that their actions change the facts.
To those who already have the facts, know that you have it in your power to turn the
tables. One simple way to take action? Fair Trade Certified products, which can be anything
from lip balms, to coffee beans, to a cotton shirt. This certification ensures that the journey from
farm or factory to your home is not only environment and worker friendly, but that it was made
without any forced or child labor.
There is one issue that people may have with purchasing Fair Trade Certified items,
though: the price. But, if you consider the sorrow of those parents whose children are taken or
bought from them and forced into harsh labor; if you consider that those young, defenseless
children are often beaten, starved, and abused; if you consider their small bodies being pushed to
the breaking point and seriously hurt; if you consider the laborious hours they spend suffering
under a smouldering sun or in a stuffy sweatshop, all for those products that you never thought
twice about buying; if you consider a child, a mere six years old, with their childhood, family,

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and chances of receiving a proper education taken away from them so that you can save a couple
of dollars at the grocery store - do those couple dollars still seem worth it?
Alas, though it would allow suppliers to grow without the use of child labor, the purchase
of Fair Trade products is no miracle. Even Fair Trade spokeswoman Marika Escaravage
acknowledges this while regarding coffee trade: "If you think that buying fair-trade coffee is
going to solve all the problems in the world -- sorry that's not realistic," she says. "But it is doing
good. We're constantly improving all the time" (Fair Trade Coffee Hot Despite Controversy).
Overall, the increased purchase of Fair Trade items would be just a small step toward eradicating
the tyranny of child labor. But, whether small step or enormous leap, change is change. So will
you, people of the First World, take part in this change? If so, the time is now.

Henry, Michele. "Fair Trade Coffee Hot Despite Controversy." Toronto Star. 04 Jul. 2014: L.1.
SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 30 Oct. 2014.

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ProQuest Staff. "At Issue: Child Labor." ProQuest LLC. 2014: n.pag. SIRS Issues Researcher.
Web. 28 Oct. 2014.