It’s October and Fair Trade month is upon us,so Global Exchange is making it easy for you to take action for Fair Trade this month…and beyond. With Halloween just around the corner, candy is the one thing that is on everyone’s shopping list. However, this year how about moving away from that un-certified chocolate and reach for the Fair Trade certified label.
Our very own Tex Dworkin weighs in on the cocoa industry situation and encourages us all to buy Fair Trade Certified chocolate to pass out this Halloween and get involved in different Global Exchange campaigns to spread the word.
What’s the difference between people who choose Fair Trade certified chocolate to hand out to Trick-or-Treaters and those who hand out un-certified chocolate? Lipstick. Kidding of course, but in truth the cocoa industry is no laughing matter. Let’s face it. Chocolate that isn’t Certified Fair Trade is just plain scary. The US Department of State estimates that more than 109,000 children in the Ivory Coast’s cocoa industry work under “the worst forms of child labor,” while the International Labor Rights Forum claims 284,000 children toil in abusive labor conditions in West Africa’s cocoa fields. [read more]