Hello everyone,

Sharing my thoughts on the Chocolate Child Slaves video and article. 

I think that eating chocolate is equivalent to inflicting harm on African child laborers.

Parents, unaware of the dangers of the working environment, did not hesitate to
hand over the children to the farmer, and the children were deceived by the word
that they could make a lot of money and headed to the cacao plantation. But
dangerous long hours of unpaid work awaited them. Not only do human traffickers
use trickery, they also kidnap children from small African villages and sell them to
cacao plantations.

In tropical regions where cacao beans are produced, such as Ghana and Ivory
Coast, large amounts of pesticides are sprayed on the fruit pods to prevent insect
damage. Children who are not wearing protective clothing often do this. We
believe the worst forms of child labor include the recruitment and use of children
for forced labor through bondage and slavery-like practices, and the use of children
in jobs that may harm their health, safety or morals.

what can we do to help this problem? 

Lack of education leaves cacao farmers and local residents unskilled, a cause of
poverty. In order to eradicate child labor, it is essential to improve the rural
environment, pay fair wages, and improve the lives of local communities.

 solving it needs everyone’s participation. Chocolate companies must source their chocolates
sustainably and give higher wages to cocoa suppliers and farmers; consumers must be willing to pay
more and support only brands that don’t rely on child labor; and the government must facilitate
changes, guide community efforts, and intervene accordingly. Raising farmer wages may not be an
easy solution, but so far, it’s potentially the most effective.