Every time I see a Lindt bunny or a Ferrero Rocher, I think of my brother Edward. He’s nine years old, and he loves Easter. This Sunday, he’ll spend the day hunting for eggs, blissfully unaware that child slaves might have produced his favourite treats.

These children are sometimes only 7 or 8 years old. They’re fed barely enough to survive, often not paid a single cent, and they’re not allowed to go home -- if they try to escape from their isolated farms in West Africa, they’re brutally beaten by their captors.

Edward doesn’t have the faintest idea that such misery exists -- but I do. And I can’t accept that while almost every other major brand has introduced at least one product that's guaranteed to be made without the involvement of child slaves, Lindt and Ferrero refuse to do the same [1].

I’m calling on both companies to immediately commit to introducing products made without the involvement of child slaves.

Global brands like Nestle, Mars and Cadbury have already introduced products made from ethical cocoa, but Lindt and Ferrero are hoping to get away with doing nothing. By refusing to join the growing movement towards ethical cocoa, they’re hampering progress towards ending the terrible treatment of thousands of children -- many even younger than my little brother. There is absolutely no excuse for this.

Easter is just days away, and they’re both counting on huge sales to boost their profits. But we can use this time to send them a message -- we won’t allow them to avoid their responsibilities.

Please sign the petition help make sure Lindt and Ferrero take action to end any involvement of child slave labour in their supply chains.

If you want to get in touch with Lindt and Ferrero directly, you can post on their Facebook pages:

Ferrero: http://on.fb.me/HfC0BX

Lindt: http://on.fb.me/HpFFYw

Or Tweet @FerreroFans and @Lindt. Thanks!

[1] Scorecard of different chocolate companies by World Vision. More information:

CNN report on child labour and trafficking in the cocoa industry.

Detailed World Vision report on how different chocolate companies approach the issue.

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