JUNE 7th YOU CAN SPREAD AWARENESS ABOUT CHILD LABOR WHILE EATING CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM !
June 7th is National Chocolate Ice Cream Day in the U.S. This makes it super simple to spread awareness about human trafficking!
Did you know that 70% of the world's cocoa comes from West Africa where 2 million children are forced to work on cocoa farms?
We are so thankful that companies like Ben & Jerry's, 365 EVERYDAY VALUE®Fair Trade Certified™ Chocolate Ice Cream, Luna and Larry's Coconut Bliss, and Three Twins Ice Cream are becoming aware of the issue and incorporating fair trade ingredients in their products.
Here are 2 quick steps you can do to spread awareness on June 7th.
- Buy yourself some delicious fair trade chocolate ice cream.
- Then post a pic, on your favorite social media site, of yourself or your kiddo enjoying your ice cream and in the comments mention a fact about child labor and don't forget to add kudos for fair trade ice cream.
It's that simple. Your post might awaken the next freedom fighter!
To make it even simpler below we have written a few facts about cocoa production as well as linked them to some eye-opening articles.
- 70% of the world's cocoa comes from West Africa
- 2.1 million West African Children are forced to harvest cocoa.
- Children are being trafficked in everyday to work on cocoa farms as slaves. The average cost of a child is $250.
- Children in cocoa production must open cocoa pods with dangerous machetes and are exposed to pesticides and other chemicals harmful to their health.
- Children trafficked into cocoa production have their education halted either temporarily or indefinitely.
- Nestle, Hershey, Mars, Kraft, ADM Cocoa, Godiva and Fowler's chocolate have been known to have workers under 15, some younger than 5, work from 6 am until evening on West Africa cocoa farms.
- Big chocolate makers have been aware of forced labor in their supply chains since the early 1900's.
Spread awareness, buy fair trade and together we can end human trafficking.
