Sassy Parents

Posts Tagged ‘fairtrade’

Christmas Chocolate Choices by admin on December 12th, 2010

Kids love chocolate; I have yet to meet one who doesn’t and at Christmas, Easter and birthdays, there is often a lot of it about. Most common brands of chocolate are made from cocoa harvested (often by child slaves), on the Ivory Coast of Africa. Increasing awareness of child slavery within the chocolate industry does not seem to be impacting very quickly. In fact, the most common response I seem to get from the generation ahead of me is, “they don’t talk about it much on TV, I haven’t heard it on the radio and I haven’t seen it in the newspaper much.” Our children are also influenced by the media, however unlike our parents and grandparents, most of them rely on us to finance their consumer choices.

Given that choice, I doubt many children would want to eat a sweet that’s main ingredient is harvested at the expense of other children’s blood, sweat, tears and in some cases their lives. I’d be very disappointed to find that any children would think it is ok to gain momentary pleasure consuming such a pointless product at the expense of another child’s freedom, happiness and education. To think of any child suffering, slaving, missing their family, living in squalor and risking their life each day, so people can chow down on some chocolate makes my stomach churn.

If any child were given the facts about child slavery and chose to eat ‘blood chocolate’ any way; I’d be very shocked and wondering what kind of role models were influencing them. As responsible role models, we are ultimately accountable for the ethical decisions that our children make. Our parents and their parents need to be re-educated; we need to start making better consumer decisions. Our children and the children who suffer as slaves and work in sweat shops around the world will rejoice if you make the fairtrade chocolate choice this Christmas Season.

Christmas is a Christian holiday; regardless of your religion, if you choose to celebrate this time of year and you purchase chocolate and chocolate products, choose fairtrade brands. Many supermarkets offer fairtrade brands as do specialist shops and it is readily available online. There are plenty of ethical products that we can choose to buy and even if they cost a little bit more; think of the lives you save, they are far more important. Make your dollar count, spend it wisely and create the world you wish to live in by making caring consumer choices. Be a global guardian parent and think of all families and remember every decision you make affects families around the world.

Chococolate Blows Chunks – Luisa Foliaki

Chocolate Crimes – Luisa Foliaki

Slave Free Chocolate

Is There Slavery In Your Chocolate? – John Robbins

When People Eat Chocolate, They Are Eating My Flesh – Karlee Sapoznik

Cocoa Coffee And Child Slave Labour

Oxfam International

Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International

Tony’s Chocolonely – We Dream Business