The companies on this list are more than just committed to providing an ethical product. Together we make up a group of activists dedicated to eradicating the worst form of child labor including slavery.
If any of the following companies believe me to be in error, I would be overjoyed to be proved wrong. Until I have seen some evidence to the contrary please consider boycotting:
Nestlé
Mars
Hershey’s
Cadbury
Ghiradelli
See’s Candy
Russel Stovers
World’s Finest Chocolate
Lindt
Tony’s Chocolonely
Guittard
The following are the complicit wholesalers:
Barry Callebaut
Mondelēz
Olam
Cargill
How best to shop for Slave Free Chocolate.
Looking for a Fair Trade, organic label or an explanation of where the cocoa is sourced (from a country without child labor problems) is the best we can do as consumers when purchasing chocolate. Certification programs can only go so far when it comes to eradicating the Worst Forms of Child Labor including slavery. Together they aren’t big enough to be effective. There actually isn’t enough demand for certified chocolate. This movement, though, aids in eliminating poverty where child labor becomes a symptom. I think of Fair Trade as a great ideal that we are in the early stages of adopting correctly. In the meantime, we have 2.3 million children at risk because they are living in too poor of conditions to be part of a healthy certified farm. These are the children that this organization is geared toward helping. All of the cocoa industry and all of the consumers have to participate together to be effective. I know we can do it.
In the meantime, here are some labels to guide you in the purchasing of chocolate as that is one way of sending a message.
