In 2020, Approximately 1.5 million children were working in the cocoa industry in the Ivory Coast and Ghana. The Ivory Coast and Ghana account for approximately 58% of the world’s cocoa production. More than half of the world’s chocolate is stained with Child labour. It’s likely that most, if not everyone who reads this petition have eaten chocolate that was made with child labour without knowing.

This issue isn’t exclusive to the populations of Ghana and The Ivory Coast, it actually affects a large portion of Western Africa, Especially the countries closest to Ghana and The Ivory Coast, like Mali and Burkina Faso. Children from these countries are Trafficked into Ghana and The Ivory Coast where they are sold to cocoa farmers and forced to work against their will.

This has been an issue for so long that some people have completely forgotten that it was still an active problem. The Cocoa industry has done lots to hide the issue and make it seem like it’s under control when it’s really not. Big corporations like Nestle and Mars have vowed to end child labour in cocoa production all the way back in 2001 when the Harkin-Engel protocol was introduced in the US. they vowed to eliminate child labour in the cocoa industry in just four years, this goal wasn’t met, and after years of extensions it still hasn’t been met.

Big corporations are still not paying cocoa farmers enough to earn a living income which leads to them employing child workers who they can pay less or nothing at all. This is one of the root causes for the issue and chocolate’s biggest manufacturers have been ignorant to the issue for far too long.

There needs to be more done to stop Child labour in cocoa production, I believe that we need to help cocoa farmers earn a living income and support the kids in Western Africa with public education and provide them with more laws that protect them from being taken and forced into labour on cocoa farms.

Now you may be asking “What does this issue have to do with me?” which is a fair question. If you aren’t directly affected by the issue it may seem unimportant but it’s important as we are all consumers and many of us have or do purchase products from big chocolate manufacturers and indirectly support child labor by doing so. You have the power to help make a change and support the lives of those who are affected by the issue. The real question you should be asking is “How can I help?”

Here’s how you can help stop child labour in the chocolate industry:

-Make your voice heard:

Tell people you know about the issue, educate them on the problem and who’s responsible. Post on social media. Spread awareness to others any way you can and get others involved with the cause.

-Boycott major chocolate manufacturers:

All you have to do to boycott a company is to not purchase any of the products they produce. Companies you should be avoiding include: Nestle, Ferrero, Mars, Mondelez(parent company of Oreo and other snack brands), Hershey, Lindt, and Godiva. The easiest way to help make an impact on a company is by not supporting them at all.

-Support Organizations who are trying to stop child labour in the chocolate Industry:

Organizations such as The International Cocoa Initiative(ICI), The World Cocoa Foundation(WCF) and Fairtrade International are working to end child labour in cocoa production and provide many educational sources to those who want to learn more about the issues and want to help. 

My name Is Dustin Fetter and I’m a 17 year old from Canada. Ever since I was a little kid I have always loved chocolate and when I learned about the horrible practices that were being used to manufacture chocolate I was shocked. I didn’t want to be a part of this problem affecting so many young children. I was especially shocked to find out how little people actually acknowledged the issue. That’s why I made this petition, to help other people like me be aware of the severity of this issue and how we contribute to it just by buying chocolate. Thank you for reading.