ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ

The issue of ethical goods, whether it’s campaigning against the use of children in sweat shops, the purchasing of fair-trade coffee or even buying conflict/blood diamonds, has truly taken on a life of its own.

According to anti-trafficking campaign group Stop the Traffik, a substantial amount of our much loved confectionery is being produced by child slaves.

Chair of Stop the Traffik Steve Chalke said: β€œAlmost 50% of the world’s chocolate is produced by using chocolate slaves – that’s children trapped into slavery and forced to produce cocoa beans.”

Determine to raise the issue, Steve and pupils from a local primary school held a protest outside Nestlé’s headquarters in the town centre, to demand that chocolate manufacturers stop the sale of what they claim is slave trade chocolate.

Farmers Field School

fight back

But, defending the confectionery, Communications Director Alison Ward said: β€œWe are firmly committed to creating a supply chain free from the worst forms of child labour and forced labour. We are confident we have the right systems and programmes in place to achieve this.”

β€œWe [The Biscuit Cake Chocolate & Confectionery Association] have invited Stop the Traffik to meet ICI {International Cocoa Initiative} to discuss how Stop the Traffik can work with this initiative and to build on the actions already taken by ICI.Μύ We are disappointed, that to date, Stop the Traffik has not done this.

To hear more from Steve Chalke and Alison Ward, click onto the video