Hello Ghosties and Goblies!!
A while back, @missy @charmaine @lyxzen and @rambo asked us to teach something interesting. Well, as luck would have it- I know some interesting (however, sometimes unsettling) things. My personal and professional background is in advocacy. To be an advocate is to speak on behalf of a cause, I believe particularly to speak on behalf of those who do not have the resources to speak on behalf of themselves. With this in mind, I would like to offer a brief (JK!!) blog on the spooky side of commercial chocolate. If Lisa Simposon-esque preach and know-it-all'ism is your cup of tea, then BOY this is the blog for you!!
Chocolate is amazing. It's all I want the first three days of my period, it's like a best friend that I cry and laugh with in bed while watching 30 Rock on Netflix. What would life be without it... I don't want to know. In fact, chocolate has some startling health benefits. And chocolate originated in Central America and was named by the Mayans as: “the food of the Gods,”
but not many people know where the chocolate in goodie bags come from now-a-days-
Over 60% of chocolate bars and candies that Americans are familiar with are from the West African countries of Ghana and the Ivory Coast; many of the cacao beans are cultivated by children forced into labor… Chew on that for awhile… think of your childhood Halloweens, joyfully picking out all the chocolate pieces to enjoy A.S.A.P.- darkly contrasted with the life of a 9 year old child slave in the Ivory Coast who has never tasted the fruit of his back breaking labor.
There are over 200,000 estimated child slaves in the Ivory Coast alone, where over 40% of the worlds chocolate is produced. In fact, a 2011 report conducted by Tulane University estimated that there are about 1.8 million children (under the age of 15) working on cocoa bean farms in West Africa. Children are often tricked, sold or trafficked into labor from bordering countries of Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin and Mali.
A child named Amadou who had escaped slavery in the Ivory Coast famously told Free the Slaves,
"When People Eat Chocolate, they are Eating My Flesh."
These numbers are horrifying; but the beautiful thing about being consumers is that we are provided with the power to empower instead of exploit. Today is the perfect day to start your life as an empowered consumer!! Making the ethical choice doesn't necessarily have to be expensive. Remember this quote by sustainable food advocate:
- Take Action with Free the Slaves and spread the word! Be an advocate for change and freedom for the more than 27 million people living in slavery! Watch the documentary: The Dark Side of Chocolate and/or read Kevin Bales Disposable People to learn more about modern day slavery and what you can do to stop it. Vow to only eat slave free-fair trade chocolate from now on!
- BE YOU! Make the change to a fair trade lifestyle in a way that works best for you; substitute your sugar for fair trade sugar (available in Wal-Mart, Target, HEB, etc.) and build from there, ask your local barista if they serve fair trade coffee & start a conversation about fair trade with friends and family, buy second hand & USA made-sweatshop clothing and accent your look with striking fair trade statement pieces! Be the Change you wish to see in the world!
Indulging is sweet Fair Trade Coffee, in my Sweeet Zapatista Mug and wearing an outfit of second hand and American Apparel clothing, with a large fair trade necklace from India:
Thank you for making it through! I believe in the interconnectedness of all life, and that when we realize that we have the power to lessen the suffering of others- it can kindle your heart, and brighten your life!
