This Valentine's Day
Take Action to END child labor and trafficking in the cocoa industry!
Valentine's Day is a major chocolate buying holiday, but your treats should not come at the expense of workers rights! Forced labor, child labor and trafficking continue in the cocoa industry in West Africa.
Host a screening...
...of The Dark Side of Chocolate in your school or community. This important new documentary exposes the ongoing use of trafficked child labor in the cocoa industry.
Email fairtrade@labor-religion.org [1] to obtain a copy of the DVD ($6) and a screening toolkit including discussion guide and background information.
Want to do more?
Learning about these issues in the cocoa industry can be upsetting, but it’s important to remember that every one of us is capable of affecting change. You can point to alternatives to slave-made chocolate and actions that individual consumers can take.
- Sign the petition (available online) to speak out to Hershey, requesting Fair Trade. Return signed petitions to us at the address provided.
- Give Fair Trade chocolate, a gift that gives twice. Check out Green America’s chocolate scorecard to compare chocolate companies.
- Ask for Fair Trade in your favorite stores.
- Tell others! Tell your friends and family about these issues and prompt them to take the same actions.
- Teach about Fair Trade. Contact us for free Fair Trade curriculum resources.
- Keep informed. Visit our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/NewYorkFairTrade [2] for the latest from the world of Fair Trade.
- Forward this information to others!
For more information, visit www.labor-religion.org [3] or www.raisethebarhershey.org [4] or email fairtrade@labor-religion.org [1]
Together we can support cocoa farmers and workers and make Valentine's Day more fun for everyone!