The chocolate industry makes 100 billion dollar every year! So why is there still child slavery in cacao?
20 years ago an agreement was made to end child slavery. Almost every chocolate you can
find in a Dutch supermarket is labeled 'Fair Trade' or 'sustainable', but child slavery has only increased the last decade.
So why has nothing changed?
Check the online, free to watch, documentary 'A Bitter Taste - Chocolate's Heart of Darkness'
The devastating documentary shows children being sold for 300 euros to work for (at least) 3 years on a cacao plantation in the Ivory Coast. Many are poor immigrants, from neighboring country Burkina Faso.
Even though cacao is a shadow tree, grows (and tastes) the best when planted under the shade of bigger trees, the docu shows big parts of the jungle being cut down, the last trees burned, and the ground sprayed with toxic herbicides, by children without wearing protecting outfit.
Real transparency in cacao trade would mean we can keep people/companies accountable for slavery & deforestation. If cacao farming would earn well, all children would go to school.
This is why we chose to only work with Direct Trade chocolate, from small chocolate makers, small cooperation's and plantations. Short and transparent lines: no more than 2 persons between the cacao farmers and the shop.
So Direct Trade chocolate doesn't only guarantee slave-free chocolate, but also the best taste, protection of environment and thriving cacao communities.