Our Top Four Stocking Stuffers for Children

You have empty stockings that need to be stuffed but you’ve become socially and environmentally conscious when it comes to buying your gifts. You don’t want to disappoint your children, but you want to make sure that you purchase gifts that are possibly made from recycled materials, products that support fair trade, and items that are environmentally friendly. Luckily for you, the search doesn’t need to be a long one. We’ve compiled a list of our top four stocking stuffers for children and we’re sure you won’t be disappointed.

Miniature Assorted Animal Families
These animal families are made out of clay and then painted to reflect a type of animal family. Each family also comes in its own wooden box, so they’ll never get lost if kept safely in the box after being played with. There is a wide selection of different animals to choose from: monkeys, butterflies, cats, owls, penguins, rabbits and dogs. Depending on the type of family, you might get three or four of the small creations. Due to the small nature of the objects, these are not recommended for children under three years of age.

Tic Tac Toe Travel Game
If your children love tic tac toe, then this is the ultimate stocking stuffer for your child. The beautiful design of this makes it as pleasant to look at, as it is easy to play. These sets are made out of a gorgeous blue Guatemalan material that is safe to use on any surface. The pieces for tic tac toe are woven out of material and come in two different shades of blue. To add to the final touch, there is a small pouch that the board and pieces can be held in, so you won’t lose them after you’re done playing. A perfect game to take along when traveling this holiday season.

Fair Trade Wooden Yo-Yo
Yo-yo’s never go out of style as witnessed by the fact that generation after generation of children have fallen in love with this simple toy. This fair trade wooden yo-yo is made out of a beautiful wood from South India called Ankudu with vibrant colors that are 100% lead-free non-toxic vegetable dyes. The yo-yo comes in a vibrant yellow and red that will make any child brim with excitement. Now all you have to do once you give them this gift, is teach them how to walk the dog and cradle the baby!

Yachana Gourmet Jungle Chocolate with Raisins and Coconut
It won't be a complete Christmas stocking without something edible in it, and we have the perfect candy! Yachana Jungle Chocolate is made in its purest form, it’s 100% roasted and only slightly sweetened with sugar cane. The chocolate is dairy free and therefore vegan. This fair trade chocolate snack is a delicious treat for both children and adults!

This holiday season as you celebrate Christmas you can also celebrate your decision to support fair trade artisans and their communities. Your purchase of fair trade products helps producer communities in many ways. Schools are built, wells constructed, children attend school, and other signs clearly indicate that the income generated by fair trade sales positively resonate in a community.

To see our complete selection of Christmas stockings and stocking stuffers for children, tweens, and teenagers visit us at Planet One Gifts.

Dear Global Justice Readers,


A large increase in military aid to Mexico is included in the 2009 Supplemental funding bill currently being debated in the U.S. Congress. This boost to the package of weapons and training locked in by Bush-era Mérida Initiative (Plan Mexico) funding is a disturbing signal that the Obama Administration is following the ill-conceived path forged under Bush's presidency-prioritizing military approaches to social and economic issues. Rising U.S. military involvement in Mexico has been widely opposed by Mexican human rights groups. The latest funds were allocated as part of a broad "supplemental" budget package that skirts debate and minimizes public scrutiny.

Please tell your Congressional Representatives that you oppose further militarization of our Mexico policy. The new Administration needs to move beyond knee-jerk military responses to complex social issues. We recommend this background analysis by Laura Carlsen.

At the same time that the U.S. is boosting military aid, human rights conditions in Mexico are in decline. The atmosphere of crisis generated by widespread violence related to narco-trafficking has provided the Army and police forces a fresh pretext for ignoring human rights and defending impunity for well-connected criminals and abusers.

Examples of unpunished crimes are many. In Oaxaca City more than two-dozen activists were gunned down by paramilitaries organized by state police during an uprising in 2006. The government has neither investigated nor held accountable those responsible. Even in the case of Bradley Will-the one foreigner killed-the authorities, have invented preposterous theories to shield allies and persecute opponents.

2006 was a turning point for Mexico. In May that year, weeks before the uprising in Oaxaca and months prior to the presidential election, police brutally attacked demonstrators in San Salvador Atenco in Mexico State. Federal, state, and local police arrested and tortured hundreds of demonstrators and raped or abused 26 women. No one involved in planning and carrying out the attacks and rapes has been charged, yet 12 demonstrators are still imprisoned on sentences ranging up to 112 years!


Please join the campaign to free these twelve political prisoners.

source: Global Exchange

as always, just passing it on

Dear Fair Trade and Planet One Gifts Supporter,

Yesterday, during the first White House meeting between U.S. President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Obama successfully pressured Netanyahu to agree to peace talks. However, Netanyahu gave no indication that his government would halt settlement expansion or ease the blockade on Gaza.

Despite these promising small steps on the part of the Obama Administration, much of Washington continues to cater to AIPAC's demands for unconditional U.S. support--including over $3 billion in military aid each year--no matter the cost in civilian lives. Even after last December's Gaza invasion, Washington remains silent.

The Israeli invasion, which dropped hundreds of one-ton bombs and included the widespread use of white phosphorous, represents a level of violence and impunity that U.S. taxpayers should not accept.

At this point in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the U.S. can no longer support Israel without demanding serious movement towards peace and respect for human rights in return. The U.S. needs to help Israel understand we can no longer accept the indiscriminate killing of Palestinian civilians, nor can we accept the ongoing blockade of the Gaza Strip. We need a change towards a just and lasting solution.

Join the global movement actively working towards breaking the siege on Gaza, and educating U.S. citizens about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We encourage every U.S. citizen to go to Israel and Palestine, and see the facts on-the-ground.

Join Global Exchange and CODEPINK delegations to Gaza and the West Bank, and return to educate your communities.

Take Action!

Call your Congressional Representatives! Demand that Israel be held accountable for its disproportionate use of force, and use of white phosphorous in the invasion of Gaza.

Participate in Global Exchange and CODEPINK delegations to the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and Israel proper. Check-out the list of delegations below!

Can't Join a Delegation? Contribute! Donate money towards toys, school supplies, and playground equipment for children in Gaza.

2009 Delegations to Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel proper

CODEPINK delegation to Gaza through Egypt:
May 28-June 5
CODEPINK delegation to Gaza through Israel:
June 5-June 14
(we now have enough support for the Egypt trip, but we are in need of more participants and donations for the Gaza delegation through Israel)
Global Exchange delegation to the West Bank and Israel:
July 25-August 4
December 5-December 15
Global Exchange "Fair Olive Harvest" delegation to the West Bank:
October 30-November 9

Thank you, as always, for your work on behalf of peace & justice

source: Global Exchange

as always, just passing it on

Obama/Clinton to visit Mexico

Dear Readers,
US-Mexico relations are at a tense and defining moment. During Felípe Calderón's first two years as president, drug war violence has reached an all time high. Meanwhile, the effects of the U.S. financial and economic crisis are spilling over our southern border - with job loss and the devastation of family incomes and savings hitting Mexicans, just as they have in United States.
At the same time, disputes over NAFTA provisions have gone public, and some panicky voices in the U.S. national security establishment have even suggested that the overall disintegration of Mexico is so serious that the Mexican state itself is in danger of "catastrophic failure." This sense of crisis - whether manufactured or real - has reduced the focus on traditional, bi-lateral concerns like immigration policy.
On March 25th and 26th, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit Monterrey, Mexico to lay the groundwork for an April 16th and 17th trip by President Barack Obama to Mexico City where he will meet with Mexico's president, Felípe Calderón. Additional preparatory visits by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Attorney General Eric Holder add to the sense that the new U.S. Administration is giving Mexico top priority.
As these official visits take place we will be intensifying our coverage of Mexico -- both on this list serve and our website. If you would like to receive Mexico-specific news on a regular basis, sign up here.
Linked to this message please find:
1. An excellent piece by our colleague Laura Carlsen, who lays out a case for skepticism regarding claims that Mexican cartels are orchestrating widespread violence on the U.S. side of the border;
2. A review of David Bacon's Illegal People: How Globalization Creates Migration and Criminalizes Immigrants by Ted Lewis recently published in Z Magazine;
3. A backgrounder on Mexico's appearance before the United Nations Human Rights Commission; and
4. An article from The Associated Press covering recent disputes over NAFTA trucking provisions that will be a front and center topic of bi-lateral conversations.
Sincerely,
Global Exchange


Source Global Exchange

as always, just passing it on

2004 U.S. intervention repeated; Republicans threaten Salvadoran voters 4 days before election

We need you to call the U.S. State Department, and demand an official statement of respect for El Salvador's March 15 presidential election, and urge Secretary Clinton to seek a positive relationship with whoever is elected!

Call the U.S. State Department's El Salvador/Nicaragua Desk today: (202) 647-1510.Yesterday, two Republican congressmen gave speeches on the floor of the House of Representatives threatening Salvadorans living in the U.S. will lose their immigration status and be outlawed from sending money home to their families if voters in El Salvador exercise their right to elect the opposition FMLN party's candidate on Sunday.

Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) said, "Should the pro-terrorist FMLN party replace the current government in El Salvador, the United States, in the interests of national security, would be required to reevaluate our policy toward El Salvador, including cash remittance and immigration policies to compensate for the fact there will no longer be a reliable counterpart in the Salvadoran government."

Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN) stated, "Those monies that are coming from here to there I am confident will be cut, and I hope the people of El Salvador are aware of that because it will have a tremendous impact on individuals and their economy."
These threats carry considerable weight for Salvadoran voters, as 25% of the Salvadoran population lives in the U.S., and 20% of the nation's economy consists of remittances from those family members. As in 2004, we expect these open, blatant threats to be plastered across the front pages of newspapers across El Salvador in the coming days. These threats endanger the sovereign right of the Salvadoran people to elect their own government, free from outside manipulation.


TAKE ACTION!
Call the State Department to demand an immediate public declaration of U.S. neutrality toward the Salvadoran election! CALL: (202) 647-1510 (El Salvador/Nicaragua desk) "I am calling to urge Secretary Clinton to immediately make a public statement declaring that the United States will respect the results of Sunday's presidential election in El Salvador and seek a positive relationship with whoever is elected." "On Wednesday, Members of Congress publicly threatened to revoke the immigration status of Salvadorans living here in the U.S. and outlaw the remittances they send back to their families. These threats have been extensively covered by the media in El Salvador. Without a statement by the State Department refuting these threats, the integrity and fairness of the Salvadoran election will be severely compromised."

The Republicans' statement stand in stark contrast to last week's declaration by over thirty House Democrats and one Senator who publicly committed to U.S. neutrality, to respect the election results, and to maintain a positive relationship with whichever government is elected. In a March 5th press conference in Washington, D.C., Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) stated, "the proper position of the U.S. Congress and government is one of neutrality and respect for El Salvador's independent democratic process."

With the election less than a week away, it is imperative that the State Department declare this same position of neutrality and respect for El Salvador's independent democratic process, and reject the Republicans' threats and lies about immigration status and remittances. The integrity and fairness of El Salvador's presidential election is in danger as long as such a statement is not made.

Stay updated with news from within El Salvador with CISPES

Learn more background information on the role of the U.S. government in Salvadoran elections.


Thank you, as always, for your work on behalf of peace & justice.

source: Global Exchange

Capitol Power Plant in Washington D.C.

This Weekend The Action Begins In Washington, DC.

Power Shift promises to be the largest youth climate conference ever held in the U.S. Two days later, youth and climate activists from across the country will take part in a mass mobilization at the Washington D.C. coal plant--known as the Capitol Climate Action.

In addition to sending hundreds of youth to Power Shift by bus, Global Exchange is sending two groups, one to each of these historic events, by train. During three days on the train, we'll have plenty of time to prepare for Power Shift and the protest, reconnect with old friends, and build community with new ones. We will also avoid dumping thousands of tons of CO2 into the upper atmosphere.

This is history in the making, and we don't want you to miss any of it. So keep up with Global Exchange on two blogs dedicated to each of these momentous events.

Stay up-to-date on two historic actions with Global Exchange
You do NOT want to miss this!Keep track of activities at GX's Power Shift blog.Follow events at the Capitol Climate Action at GX's Climate Justice blog.

Read more of Global Exchange's Climate Justice blogHeaded for the Capitol and it's 3AM on the California Zephyr
It's 3am on the California Zephyr and we're stopped in Salt Lake City, Utah. The California Zephyr is the Amtrak train we are on for the first leg of our cross-country trip to the Capitol Climate Action. It originated in the San Francisco Bay area and has so far passed through Sacramento, Truckee, Reno, Winnemucca, Elko and now Salt Lake City.

I ought to be asleep, but instead I'm checking out images and YouTube videos about coal mining in Utah.

There's a lot of coal mining in the eastern part of the state, which you could probably guess from names like Carbon County and Carbonville. Carbon County has some quaint old ghost mining towns you can visit to see what it was like back in the day, but mining companies don't spend a lot of time publicizing today's practices.Longwall mining.

Longwall mining is one of the preferred practices around here these days. Longwall mining chews up an underground slice of coal a couple of miles long and 500-1000 feet wide. It has a number of nasty side effects like, for example, the fact that after the longwall operation is done, there's a long chunk of earth missing. So the land above suddenly subsides, sometimes doing severe damage to above ground structures, changing the course of rivers and similar neat stuff.

Mining coal is just a nasty business. We need to leave the rest of this stuff in the ground.

Yesterday, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid announced that they wanted the Capitol Power Plant to quit using coal. That's an important victory for the Capitol Climate Action before the action even takes place next Monday.

But as nice as this success is, there are much bigger fish to fry. And that's the real point of the Capitol Climate Action. Coal needs to be abandoned everywhere.

Thank you, as always, for your work on behalf of peace & justice, Global Exchange


Source: Global Exchange

Every-bunny Loves Fair Trade!!


Make Easter sweeter for cocoa farmers by buying Fair Trade chocolate and demanding that World's Finest Chocolate switch to Fair Trade certified cocoa! Help promote Fair Trade! During the Easter season, companies like Word's Finest Chocolate sell millions of dollars worth of chocolate. Unfortunately, the chocolate that we often enjoy is not so sweet for the hundreds of thousands of child laborers involved in the harvesting of cocoa to make that chocolate, many of whom toil as slaves.

The US chocolate industry committed to ending abuses such as child slavery by July of 2005, but has not kept its promises. It is up to the consumers of the world's largest chocolate companies to hold them accountable. Let them know that this is not acceptable!

Here's what you can do:

*Send a fax to World's Finest Chocolate and demand that they take their share of the responsibility for ending forced and abusive child labor on their farms by using Fair Trade Certified cocoa.

*Purchase Fair Trade Easter gifts and show others that Fair Trade is possible! Visit the Planet One Gifts Fair Trade Online Store to see our selection of chocolate and other gifts. This year, you can order fair trade gifts, organic chocolates and Fair Trade Easter Baskets.

*Talk About Fair Trade in Your Classroom! Easter is the perfect occasion to talk with children about where their chocolate comes from and what they can do to help their peers on cocoa farms around the world. Global Exchange has lots of resources available for teachers and children of all ages to learn more about how fair trade is helping farmers and their children build a better life.

*Keep up the good work! Fair trade is on the rise! According to the Fair Trade Resource Network, the world market for Fair Trade products is expanding at 10 to 25% per year, with about 60% sales coming from a small number of food products, such as chocolate and coffee.

Continue making Fair Trade a reality!

For more information on how your school, church or community group can get involved or to order additional materials to promote fair trade in your home this Easter, please contact Gioioa von Disterlo at fairtrade@globalexchange.org or 415.575.5538.


Source: Global Exchange

Climate Emergency Action in Washington, DC

On March 2, a vast coalition of concerned citizens will blockade the coal-fired power plant that serves the US Capitol to serve notice that we will no longer accept business as usual that expands the use of coal -- known to be a leading cause of climate change. This mass action will take place in conjunction with POWER SHIFT - a gathering of thousands of youth climate activists.

Please join us as we travel by train to Washington, DC to take part in the urgent nonviolent action convened by poet, Wendell Berry and Bill McKibben the educator and leader in the movement for climate sanity. The action is being led and organized by dozens of leading environmental, religious, human rights, peace and justice organizations.


source: Global Exchange

The Right to Stay Home: Alternatives to Mass Displacement and Forced Migration in North America

Dear Global Justice Readers,

Many people's spirits were lifted by the inauguration of President Obama this week. Now comes the challenging work of making the promised change real.
This week we are releasing our new report, The Right to Stay Home: Alternatives to Mass Displacement and Forced Migration in North America, online. We hope our readers use this report as a tool to help focus attention on the urgent need to make Mexico, Immigration, and NAFTA reform front and center priorities of the new administration.

The report focuses on the powerful economic forces that drive migration from Mexico to the United States. It brings together the voices of a range of progressive economists, anthropologists, law professors, journalists, and leaders of social organizations on both sides of the border who analyze the complexities of the migration dynamic and propose strategies to mitigate them.

The report's contributors include: Jeff Faux, Armando Bartra, David Bacon, Gustavo Esteva, Laura Carlsen, Bill Hing, Amy Shannon, Oscar Chacon, Maria Dolores París, John Gibler, Berta Lujan, Dan Labotz and Ted Lewis.

********

The topic of Mexico will be unavoidable for President Obama. Even prior to his inauguration he met with Felipe Calderon -- the weak and ever more isolated president of Mexico. At the conclusion of that meeting, Obama called for a "NAFTA upgrade." We hope that means our new president is sending the signal that -- as he promised in his campaign -- NAFTA is no longer sacrosanct and that real change may come to our diplomacy with Mexico. We offer our report as a tool in the fight to make sure that happens.

During the last year more than five thousand Mexicans have died in a drug war that has no end in sight. Meanwhile, Mexican government revenues that depend heavily on income from oil sales are dropping sharply as both current prices and overall reserves decline. The value of the Mexican Peso has dropped nearly 30 percent since last September and unemployment is rising rapidly as Mexico faces a magnified version of the deep recession sweeping the United States. Large-scale migration to the United States that has provided an escape valve for Mexican social volatility over the last quarter century is an increasingly difficult option during the sharp contraction of the U.S. workforce underway today.

The sense of crisis is real, but the path of growing military support for Calderon's government that Bush pursued via the "Merida Initiative" (Plan Mexico) is not a viable or acceptable path for Obama to take. In this light, recent comments by departing Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, were chilling. He raised the possibility of a security "surge" on the United States' side of the border should escalating drug war violence in Mexico move north. His comments came on the heels of a United States Joint Forces Command study that compared Mexico to Pakistan as one of two "large and important states" with potential for "rapid and sudden collapse."

2009 is a pivotal year for both Mexico and the United States. We urge you to read and make use of our report today and to stay tuned for further developments.

Best,
The Mexico Team


source: Global Exchange

Pass it on

Sorry kids, but no thank you.

Help Raise the Bar on Chocolate Fundraising

Send World's Finest a Free Fax Today!

Over 40,000 schools and youth groups depend on World’s Finest Chocolate for their annual fundraisers. The profits from these sales support a wide range of causes and make up an integral part of many school budgets. Yet while nearly fifty cents of every one-dollar bar goes to support local schools or charity groups, scarcely pennies reach impoverished cocoa farmers and their families. Global Exchange is working with schools, churches and charitable groups across the country to call upon World’s Finest to broaden the good that our communities can do in using its fundraising bars by offering Fair Trade.

We feel that this is an important way their company can contribute to a comprehensive solution to child labor in the cocoa industry and use their products not only to support community development for our children but for children everywhere. Don’t let the profits from your next school fundraiser come at the expense of another child’s education on one of the world’s cocoa farms. Send World's Finest a free fax today and share with them your experience fundraising with thier products (or their fairly traded competitors) and the depth and breadth of support for fair trade in your community. You can use our sample text or write a message in your own words below!

Need help converting your groups fundraiser to fair trade?
Download our fundraising action pack with information and tips on how you can lobby your fundraising supplier to sell fair trade or switch your group to a supplier that does! For a list of companies that offer 100% Fair Trade Certified Chocolate, many of which have fundraising programs click here!

Source: Global Exchange

Fair Trade, Organic Chocolate available at Planet One Gifts. Vegan selection available.

Click here to go to Global Exchange and send a fax to Edmond Opler,
Chairman and CEO of World's Finest Chocolate. Tell him you are shocked and dismayed to learn that he still does not utilize sources of Fair Trade chocolate.

The Chocolate Industry: Poverty Behind the Sweetness

Read GX Fair Trade Director's
Cocoa Op-Ed on Common Dreams
Commitment to Ethical Cocoa
Factsheet-- Cocoa Producer Stories --Fair Trade and The Environment-- Resources-- Key Child Labor Documents

Can you live on chocolate alone? Neither can the countless farming families that depend on cocoa for a living.

The six largest cocoa producing countries are the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Indonesia, Nigeria, Brazil, and Cameroon. Cocoa has especially significant effects on the economy and the population in these countries. For example, in Ghana, cocoa accounts for 40% of total export revenues, and two million farmers are employed in cocoa production. The Ivory Coast is the world's largest cocoa producer, providing 43% of the world's cocoa.
In 2000, a report by the US State Department concluded that in recent years approximately 15,000 children aged 9 to 12 have been sold into forced labor on cotton, coffee and cocoa plantations in the north of the country. A June 15, 2001 document (PDF 850kb) released by the Geneva, Switzerland-based International Labor Organization (ILO) reported that trafficking in children is widespread in West Africa. (For ILO definitions of these labor violations, see ILO Convention 182 on Child Labor ILO Convention 29 on Forced Labor.)

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) followed up these reports with an extensive study of cocoa farms in the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon, directly involving over 4,500 producers. The results were released in August 2002. An estimated 284,000 children are working on cocoa farms in hazardous tasks such as using machetes and applying pesticides and insecticides without the necessary protective equipment. Many of these children work on family farms, the children of cocoa farmers who are so trapped in poverty they have to make the hard choice to keep their children out of school to work. The IITA also reported that about 12,500 children working on cocoa farms had no relatives in the area, a warning sign for trafficking.

These child laborers face arduous work, as cacao pods must be cut from high branches with long-handled machetes, split open, and their beans scooped out. Children who are involved in the worst labor abuses come from countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Togo -- nations that are even more destitute than the impoverished Ivory Coast. Parents in these countries sell their children to traffickers believing that they will find honest work once they arrive in Ivory Coast and then send their earnings home. But as soon as they are separated from their families, the young boys are made to work for little or nothing. The children work long and hard -- they head into the fields at 6:00 in the morning and often do not finish until 6:30 at night.

" Though he had worked countless days harvesting cocoa pods -- 400 of which are needed to make a pound of chocolate -- Diabate has never tasted the finished product. "I don't know what chocolate is," he told the press.

It is unbelievable and unacceptable that, in the beginning of the 21st century, the children of West Africa are trapped in such desperation and even slave labor.

These children typically lack the opportunity for education, leaving them with no way out of their cycle of poverty. The IITA noted that 66% of child cocoa workers in the Ivory Coast did not attend school. About 64% of children on cocoa farms are under age 14, meaning that the loss of an education comes at an early age for the majority of children on cocoa farms.

The cause: "Free trade," structural adjustment, and corporate control

These problems are largely tied to insufficient income for cocoa producers and their communities. The IITA found that annual West African cocoa revenues average $30 to $110 per household member, making "it difficult for families to have sufficient income to meet their needs." Mana Osei Yawu III, Chief of Niveneso Village in Ghana has said " We had no water in the village, we just had dirty water from rivers and streams. People spent a lot of time collecting water and there was always someone who was sick. Many people in the village were wondering how much longer they could stay in the village without water, because they were getting sick. The money we used to get from selling our cocoa beans to the government didn't give us enough to buy materials or a pump for our own water supply."

Producer income remain low because major chocolate and cocoa processing companies have refused to take any steps to ensure stable and sufficient prices for cocoa producers. World cocoa prices fluctuate widely and have been well below production costs in the last decade. Though cocoa prices have shown moderate increases in the past few years, cocoa producers remain steeped in debt accumulated when prices were below production costs. Producers typically also get only half the world price, as they must use exploitative middlemen to sell their crop.

The effects of insufficient cocoa income have been exacerbated by deregulation of agriculture in West Africa, which abolished commodity boards across the region, leaving small farmers at the mercy of the market. This economic crisis forced farmers to cut their labor costs. The outcome was a downward spiral for labor in the region, and a surge in reports of labor abuses ranging from farmers pulling children out of school to work on family farms to outright child trafficking and slavery. These small farmers and their children remained trapped in a cycle of poverty, without hope for sufficient income or access to basic education or health care. As the IITA summarized, "Interviews with community leaders indicated that the greater employment of family labor was a common response to the recent drop in cocoa prices and the crisis in cocoa incomes. In addition to the substitution of family labor for paid labor, farmers have also reduced the use of purchased inputs. The net effect of both of these factors has led to lower productivity and incomes, and, perhaps most importantly, to reduced household investments in children's education."

For years, US chocolate manufacturers have said they are not responsible for the conditions on cocoa plantations since they don't own them. But the $13 billion chocolate industry is heavily consolidated, with just two firms -- Hershey's and M&M/Mars -- controlling two-thirds of the US chocolate candy market. Surely, these global corporations have the power and the ability to reform problems in the supply chain. What they lack is the will.
After a string of media exposes and the threat of government action jeopardized their image, the chocolate industry finally agreed to take action in 2001. On November 30, 2001 the US chocolate industry released a Protocol and Joint Statement outlining their plans to work toward eliminating the worst forms of child labor (see ILO Convention 182) and forced labor (see ILO Convention 29) in cocoa production.

Unfortunately, the plan does not guarantee stable and sufficient prices for cocoa, or any guarantee that cocoa farmers will receive a fair income in the end. Without such a guarantee, there is now way to ensure that abusive child labor on cocoa farms will cease for good.

The solution: Fair Trade cocoa and chocolate

Fortunately, there is a way to correct the economic imbalances of the cocoa system: Fair Trade. Fair Trade chocolate and cocoa products are marked with the "Fair Trade Certified" and Fair Trade Federation labels. Fair Trade is an international monitoring and certification system that guarantees a minimum price under direct contracts, prohibits abusive child labor, and promoted environmental sustainability. The Fair Trade system guarantees that farmers receive a "floor price" of at least $.80/pound for non-organic cocoa and $0.89/pound for organic cocoa. Producers receive $150 per metric ton above the world price if the world price rises above the Fair Trade floor price. This gives farmers the stable and sufficient income they need to support their families with dignity. Fair Trade prohibits abusive child labor and forced labor. Farms are monitored once per year to ensure that all conditions are met.See the full criteria for Fair Trade (PDF 278kb). Fair Trade cocoa comes from Belize, Bolivia, Cameroon, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ghana, Nicaragua, and Peru. Read our cooperative profiles to learn more about these Fair Trade cocoa farmers.

Our Fair Trade Chocolate/cocoa Campaign is pressuring large companies like World's Finest Chocolate and other members of the Chocolate Manufacturers Association of America to sell Fair Trade chocolate and cocoa products immediately. We also support a network of K-12 schools, campus groups and community activists advocating for Fair Trade chocolate and cocoa around the USA.

source: Global Exchange