Stop eating chocolate.

Summary

This video exposes the dark side of the chocolate industry, uncovering the hidden use of forced child labor in West African cocoa farms to reduce production costs and maximize profits. With millions of children working in dangerous conditions, big companies and government officials are implicated in perpetuating these practices to keep prices low. The video details how agreements like the Harkin-Engel Protocol have failed to end child labor, while 'fair trade' labels provide only a veneer of ethical sourcing. Ultimately, the industry’s profit-driven structure creates a disconnect between consumer enjoyment and the exploitation underlying chocolate production.

Takeaways

• 🍫 The global demand for chocolate has a long history, dating back to ancient civilizations like the Mayans and Aztecs, with mass production starting in the 20th century.
• 💰 Chocolate production is highly profitable, but the cost of cocoa is a challenge, leading manufacturers to find ways to lower their costs.
• 🛑 Like the diamond industry, the chocolate industry has been linked to exploitative practices, including forced and child labor, particularly in West African cocoa farms.
• ⚖️ Approximately 1.6 million children are estimated to work illegally on cocoa farms, contributing to the chocolate production industry, often under slave-like conditions.
• 👶 Many children working in cocoa production have never tasted chocolate themselves and are paid little or nothing for their labor.
• 🤝 The chocolate industry has allegedly formed a cartel to keep cocoa prices low, maximizing profits while squeezing cocoa farmers into poverty.
• 📉 Cocoa farmers earn only a fraction of the chocolate industry’s profits, pushing them to seek cheaper labor, including child labor, to survive.
• 📝 Efforts like the Harkin-Engel Protocol, aimed at reducing child labor in cocoa farming, have not led to significant changes, and many companies remain indirectly linked to exploitative labor.
• 🎩 Chocolate companies use branding and public relations, such as investments in schools or fair trade labels, to divert attention from child labor concerns without addressing the root of the problem.
• 🔍 Despite promises of ethical practices, only a small percentage of cocoa farms are inspected, making it difficult to ensure that child labor is not being used in the production of 'sustainably sourced' chocolate.

Q & A

What historical significance does chocolate have?

Chocolate has been valued since ancient times, with the Mayans and Aztecs being early consumers. The Spanish later brought hot cocoa to Europe, and the advent of milk chocolate in 1876 made it a popular treat globally.

What problem did mass chocolate production face in the 20th century?

The primary issue was the high cost of cocoa, which ate into the profit margins of chocolate manufacturers. Importing cocoa beans from places like the Ivory Coast became expensive due to multiple intermediaries.

How did the diamond industry inspire the cocoa industry?

The cocoa industry allegedly took lessons from the diamond industry, particularly the diamond cartel, which controlled mines in Africa using child or forced labor. Similarly, the cocoa industry is accused of exploiting cheap labor, including child labor, to maximize profits.

What is the role of child labor in cocoa production?

An estimated 1.6 million children work illegally on farms in West Africa, particularly in the Ivory Coast, where nearly two-thirds of the world's cocoa is produced. Many of these children are forced to work under harsh conditions for little or no pay.

How do chocolate manufacturers distance themselves from child labor allegations?

Chocolate companies claim they are not directly involved with the farms, as they purchase cocoa through intermediaries. This gives them plausible deniability about the working conditions on the farms.

What was the Harkin-Engel Protocol, and did it succeed?

The Harkin-Engel Protocol was introduced in 2001 to eliminate child labor in cocoa production by 2005. However, the initiative failed to meet its goals, and child labor persists in the cocoa industry.

How do chocolate companies maintain public trust despite child labor controversies?

Chocolate companies use public relations strategies, such as investing in anti-child-labor programs and promoting certifications like 'Fair Trade' or 'Sustainably Sourced,' to give the impression that they are addressing the issue, even though less than 10% of farms are independently inspected.

What is the financial impact of cocoa prices on farmers compared to chocolate manufacturers?

Cocoa farmers make around $1.25 per day, earning only 6.6% of the value from each ton of cocoa, while chocolate manufacturers take home 35% of the profits from cocoa sales, highlighting the vast disparity in earnings.

Why do local governments in West Africa allegedly support the status quo in cocoa farming?

Governments in West African countries like the Ivory Coast rely on taxes and fees from cocoa exports. These revenues help maintain their political power, making them complicit in the exploitation of cocoa workers to preserve the industry.

How effective are fair trade and sustainability labels in the chocolate industry?

While fair trade and sustainability labels give consumers the impression that their chocolate is ethically sourced, fewer than 10% of farms are inspected, meaning that child labor may still be present, even in supposedly ethical products.