Jobelle Grace Soriano ABM12-A

Christine Joy Pasion

Child Labor and Slavery in the Chocolate Industry

It is true that the principal purpose of opening a business is money, so I think that
money is also the main reason for the practices of child labor and slavery in the chocolate
industry because we all know that in every business in every part of the world, they want to
earn more profit and less expenses. In opening a business, it will need more employees or
laborers to do the process of making goods or products, so the owner or the business should
pay all of those laborers. So that they will think some options to lessen their expenses in paying
the laborers in their company. I think that their strategy to lessen their expenses and earn a big
profit is to do or use child labor and slavery because in doing this they didn't need to pay them
exactly in their work. According to the case or situation, every children need to work in an early
or at a young age because of poverty so that the companies or industry use child labor instead
of using and accepting employees or laborers that is in the legal age to keep their income or
profit and prices become more competitive and efficient. So that money is also the main reason
of these case.

There are different ways that the chocolate industry can help in the socioeconomic
development of West Africa. Based on my research, the IFC, in partnership with the World
Bank, is exploring ways to support west African cocoa farmers to improve their livelihood in the
face of a number of social and economic challeges. They also joined with the world cocoa
Foundation members, including global chocolate and cocoa industry players like Hersheys, kraft
foods and different industries to discuss ways to coordinate efforts to support every farmers
and improve the sustainability of cocoa production in West Africa.

Because of the significant challeges that facing by the future sustainable development
of the sector, falling productivity, diminishing farmer incomes, poor physical infrastructure that
obstructs access to markets and concerns over harmful child labor and deforestation. The IFC'S
and World Bank Group could complement the foundations existing efforts to increase
productivity and farmers income in the sector, it will play a strong role in increasing the access
to finance along the cocoa supply chain and provide farmer training on new technologies and
practices; they could help improve the overall investment climate in the sector and support
infrastructure projects. The IFC has already began work projects to support the cocoa industry,
there are many farmers that will expected to benefit from this facility. Plans are also underway
to launch a sector-wide advisory program to help develop and promote sustainable practices
for West African cocoa producers. So because of this different ways and projects it will play
such an important role to help the socioeconomic development of West Africa.

Child labor and slavery on cocoa farms is a difficult issue to fully address because the
most serious abuses take place across the world, but it doesn't mean that our responsibility as a
consumer is reduced, since chocolate is a luxury and expensive to buy and not really necessity.
So as a consumer, I will recommend that we encourage people not to purchase chocolate that
is sourced from Western Africa, and to identify this, there are reaserch that is available and
created a list with vegan chocolates that we do and do not recommend based on the sourcing
of the cocoa, and there are few exceptions which are explained. I will also suggest that the
higher officials in the government of every places should think most effective and powerful
solutions to address the issue and they should make and develop some effective rules and laws
regarding on this serious thing and if there is already rule or law, they should strictly work it
well. They should also take it seriously because there are innocent people especially children
that is part of it.