Chocolate

Written - December 5, 2007


Chocolate and holidays are virtually synonymous. However, chocolate turns out to be not only bad for health, but also human rights. Few of us question how cocoa is produced, but a quick analysis highlights some disturbing facts. As with most of the commodities in Western countries, cocoa is produced in regions that are economically advantageous to corporations. West Africa is the predominant global region of cocoa production and enslaved children the labourers.

In 2002, Save the Children Canada issued a report which observed that over 200,000 children sold into slavery worked on cocoa farms in Cote d’Ivoire. Following the report, the Ivorian government agreed to address issues of child labour, however conflict in the region has limited any progress on these issues and enslaved children continue to work plantations. Working conditions are terrible. Cocoa plantations rely heavily on chemical pesticides and only 40% of the child workers wear any protective gear.

Cote d’Ivoire accounted for 37.5% of global cocoa production in 2006. Within the country, over 600,000 small farms produced cocoa, thus making it very difficult to regulate child labour practices. Farmers sell their crop to the local (but internationally owned) corporate market board where beans are exported for processing and manufacture. Farmers are paid for their crop from the board, and as one would expect in West Africa, profits are negligible.

In November, 2007, Canadian chocolate producers including Nestle, Cadbury, Hershey’s and Mars were accused of price fixing the chocolate market. Dubbed the ‘chocolate cartel,’ price fixing works to undermine West African producers by ensuring that production costs are kept low from a corporate perspective. This in turn likely means the continued use of child slave labour since low production prices encourages farmers to favour cheap labour.

Western demand for chocolate is insatiable. In the US, Americans spend $13 billion dollars on chocolate each year; Canadians spend about $2.3 billion on chocolate and candy – that’s about $76 per person. The health effects of this level of consumption have been noted in studies of rising obesity rates, however, Canadians often identify chocolate as a comforting indulgence. Regardless, during this holiday season, we should be mindful that the treats we enjoy come with baggage and as an alternative, buy organic, fair trade chocolate. The price might be an inconvenience, but the cost to Africa is much worse otherwise.