Cocoa Farm Crisis by Ariel Fernandez

Cocoa Farm Crisis

                   By: Ariel Fernandez

Dear chocolate consumer,

Have you ever bought a candy bar and wondered “who are the people that make these delicious treats?” Well I have asked myself that before and now I know that the people who make those delicious mouth watering treats are children. This is the work of child labor and it’s ruining the lives of young children that can not speak up for themselves so we have to speak up for them to save their future by taking some courses of action. By taking some courses of action we will save and put smiles on child labor victims faces.

One course of action I would take to put an end to child is get involved in the “Raise the Bar” Hershey campaign. The “Raise the Bar” Hershey campaign is a campaign that helps put an end to child laboring in the Hershey Company. This campaign only focuses on one chocolate company because other companies like Nestle and Mars have tried to stop child labor in their supply chain while Hershey lags behind in doing so. There is a documentary called “The dark Side of chocolate” where undercover agents were sent to cocoa farms to see if there was child labor being used. They found child labor being used and when the agents told the government of the place they were investigating the government denied their research.

Another course of action I would take to put an end to child labor is by buying  “Fair trade chocolate.” During a reverse trick or treating campaign after receiving candy for Halloween children give Fair Trade Chocolate in return. Fair trade chocolate helps stop child labor because it is chocolate which was made without the use of child labor.