Case 5: Is your chocolate the result of unfair exploitation of child labor?

Presented by:
Michella Boss Mikee Bonifacio
Quynh-Huong (Catherine) Duong
Kaylee Thomason
John Yan
Sean Lowry
Brady Andrews

Did you know?

Chocolate is the most popular flavor in
the United States and the world
Cocoa bean is one of the ingredients to
produce chocolate.
People consume 600,000 tons of cocoa
beans annually.

Background
70% grow mainly in the tropical
climates of Western Africa
The cocoa they grow and harvest is
sold to a majority of chocolate
companies like, Mars Inc. who
makes famous chocolate
products such as snickers,

The Truth
Most children start working at a very young age just to pay for school and to support
their families.
Children end up on the cocoa farms because they need a job and traffickers tell
them that the job pays well.
Everyday they work in a farm all day collecting the cocoa beans, under inhumane
conditions.
The children work in unhealthy environments and use unsafe tools

Issue
In 2008, 60% of the 215 million children were estimated
to be child laborers worldwide.
Africa and Asia together account for over 90 percent of
total child employment.
Though children are severely under paid, they still serve
as major providers to family income in developing
countries.
Childrens work in developing countries is mentally,
physically, socially and morally dangerous to children.

Child Labor Trends

2.03 million children are involved in hazardous work
in Cte dIvoires and Ghanas cocoa production
In Cte dIvoire, one-third of school-age children
living on cocoa farms have never attended school
More than 60% of children working in cocoa farming
are below the age of 14
Children are trafficked and forced to harvest cocoa

Examples of Effective Child Labor Solidarity

Solutions
Spread awareness through domestic and national
campaigns
Calling to action the top chocolatiers and farming
countries
Hersheys, Mar's and Nestl
Western Africa, Ghana and the Ivory Coast
Bringing a living wage to areas known for soliciting child
labor

Conclusion
The effects of child labor are not limited to the production of
chocolate, but reach across a multitude of goods produced and
traded internationally.

Realistically, child labor cannot be eliminated completely, but with

better regulation from foreign governments and a refusal to trade
with companies having poor business practices, child labor can
become less prevalent.