"It is estimated that there were some 211 million children aged 5 to 14 at work in economic activity in the world in 2000."     International Labour Organisation

Another Valentines Day has passed, but with Easter almost here chocolate is still in high demand at supermarkets and retail outlets throughout the country. Unfortunately, the chocolate that we enjoy is often the product of illegal child labour, and in some cases child slavery.

“We spend all the time bent over in the field”      
Child labourer, Ivory Coast cocoa farm

Worldwide child labour is a major problem. It was estimated that some 171 million children aged 5 to 17 worked in hazardous situations or conditions in 2000. In addition, it was estimated that there were about 8.4 million children involved in the unconditional worst forms of child labour, including trafficked, forced and bonded labour. The fact that child slaves are used to cultivate and harvest cocoa in the Ivory Coast, the world’s largest supplier of cocoa, is undisputed. Media reports reveal that many of the innocent children that work on cocoa farms in the Ivory Coast and other parts of West Africa, have often been tricked or sold into slavery to work on these cocoa plantations. The chocolate industry itself has acknowledged that child slaves are harvesting cocoa in the Ivory Coast.

Despite the disturbing reality, chocolate which is often the product of forced child labour is still available in New Zealand. We have laws to protect our own children, but seem unwilling to legislate against the inhumane practise of child labour in other countries. The New Zealand government claims that the International Labour Organisation’s Fundamental Principles and Rights of Work ‘provide an appropriate basis for the discussion of labour standards within the framework of trade agreements.’ These core principles include the effective abolition of child labour. Nevertheless, no legislation exists in New Zealand preventing the import of products in which forced child labour may have been used. Trade Aid believes that buying goods made by forced child labour in another country is still an endorsement of those practices. For this reason, Trade Aid is looking to Parliament to make it illegal to import goods that are the product of forced child labour. World Trade Organisation rules are very strict in this sense and the grounds under which import restrictions may be imposed are very limited under this regime. However, as a proudly independent democracy, Trade Aid believes it is time for the New Zealand government to take a stand on this issue. In this situation, encouraging adherence with basic human rights worldwide must take priority over our involvement in the WTO.  

In the meantime, Trade Aid does offer an alternative to chocolate produced by child labour. Trade Aid offers a range of Fair trade chocolate which is manufactured by renowned Belgian chocolate makers, Barry Callebaut! Using the finest quality cocoa from Kuapa Kokoo in Ghana, and sugar from Coopecanera in Costa Rica, Trade Aid's chocolate is much loved for it's rich high-in-cocoa flavour.