The
chocolate truth by:Melissa Cabrera
Dear chocolate lovers,
Many children (five, six and seven year olds)have to work in inhuman conditions
to grow cocoa beans in West Africa. The kids used materials that are really
dangerous such as machetes.
Cocoa from which companies like Hershey’s make chocolate comes from West
Africa. In the cocoa farms the children used machetes and when they did
something wrong they would get cut with the machetes. In 2006 132 children were
trafficked. In 2007 140 children were trafficked. 2008-2009 150 children were
rescued according to the documentary “The Dark Side of Chocolate.’’
The children were sad. The children had bad
injuries they had cuts on their legs. The kids are separated from their friends
and families and they really miss them badly. The chemicals and the pesticides
they use affect their health.
One of the courses of action is to buy fair trade. “A by fair trade guarantee
that farmers receive a premium of $150 on top of market prices for each ton of
cocoa beans they produce, as long as they meet specified labor standards.’’
According to “Bitter chocolate.’’
Another course of action is reverse trick or treating. The reverse trick or
treating campaign also generates free advertising for the growing fair trade
movement. “A group of foreign exchange students celebrated their first
Halloween in proper fashion on Saturday in the suburbs of Washington D.C . But
the classmates turned the U.S. tradition on its head’’. “In addition to
accepting candy, the students handed back their own fair trade –certified,
organic dark chocolate.’’ I think reverse trick or treating is great because it
is a way of getting people aware of Fair Trade
chocolate.’’ according to the article Bitter Chocolate.
In conclusion , the next
time you eat chocolate think about the children and how they suffer making the
delicious chocolate bar and how they get beat if they don’t do what they
are supposed to do.
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