18/06/2021
Big Chocolate companies will not be stopped with attempted lawsuits.
The best lawyers and a bag full of money to corrupt anybody in between will always save them. I stopped relying on governments, politics, certifications and international associations to do justice in the chocolate industry a long time ago. I don’t trust anything and anybody in high places. But although we can feel tiny, insignificant and powerless, remember that we still hold the biggest weapon of all. There is only ONE way as small consumers to fight this battle: put your money where your mouth is.
Fiercely commenting online your indignation for child labor and then scarfing down a $1 chocolate bar is hypocritical. Child labor is a direct result of extreme poverty, which is a direct result of cheap prices, which is a direct result of a finished product that must have the lowest possible price tag in order for big companies to bank in those high profit margins. To put this in the most practical and raw way possible: if cocoa farmers in West Africa were paid sufficiently and abundantly for their cocoa, they would feel no need nor desire to enslave children or laborers. Or at least, the chances of that happening would be dramatically reduced.
The only way to change these companies’ attitudes is to make sure they see a downward arrow on their sales charts during quarterly meetings. Only lower sales will give them the clear sign that consumers don’t stand behind their broken promises and misleading marketing anymore. That consumers have had enough of their behaviors, and would rather spend their money elsewhere.
If money is their only driving force to do evil, I believe that only money can be their driving force to do good.
Next time you shop for chocolate, pay more attention to the price tag than to anything else. Want to end child labor and slavery in the chocolate industry? Then remember that ethical chocolate can never come at a discounted price.
