CHOCOLATE TO DIE FOR?

Nearly half the world's chocolate is made from cocoa grown in the Cote D'Ivoire, in Africa.

Thousands of children have been trafficked into cocoa farms in Cote D'Ivoire.

When we buy chocolate we are being forced to be oppressors ourselves as we do not know that the chocolate we eat is 'traffik free'. SHOW US THAT YOUR CHOCOLATE IS TRAFFIK FREE
We want all chocolate companies to be able to stamp onto their chocolate wrappers a symbol that tells us the cocoa beans have not been harvested by trafficked labour. We can then choose to eat chocolate that we know is TRAFFIK FREE.

ENDING TRAFFICKING IN THE CHOCOLATE INDUSTRY...

Stop the Traffik Australia is encouraging consumers to ask chocolate manufacturers to sign up to the Stop the Traffik ‘Traffik Free Chocolate Pledge':

We the undersigned companies pledge to our consumers that we are committed to cocoa procurement that respects the rights of farmers and workers. We recognise that in a complex global supply chain, the farmers who grow our beans and the workers who harvest them can be subject to unacceptable forms of exploitation, including trafficking, debt bondage and other worst forms of child labour. We recognise that as companies that benefit from this industry, we are the ones who must take responsibility to end such abuses and we have done so by undertaking the following steps;

In view of the fact that thousands of children have been trafficked to work on cocoa plantations in Ivory Coast and the presence of widespread use of the worst forms of child labour across West Africa we have agreed to the following;

• Transparency in the cocoa supply chain to farm level. We will provide our customers with detailed information about the origins of our cocoa beans and will set up internal systems that can map in any given growing season all the farms from which we have sourced.

• Adoption of a code of conduct including a pledge of no tolerance towards trafficking, debt bondage and other worst forms of child labour in our supply chain. We will also agree to independent verification that this code of conduct is being complied with.

• Change purchasing practises to ensure that farmers get a better price for their product. This will include a simplifying of the supply chain, working with co-operatives, encouraging cooperatisation, and encouraging an increase in market information to the farmers. Where appropriate we will pay a premium to farmers for the participation in certification programs.

• Commitment to financing the rehabilitation, reintegration and education of children who have been exploited on cocoa farms, both in the growing countries and countries of origin, through direct payments to local and international development organisations with an expertise in child rights.

DOWNLOAD THE TRAFFIK FREE CHOCOLATE PLEDGE HERE