Tuesday, March 03, 2009

I'm giving up chocolate

Not for Lent and not all chocolate. Just wanted to get that clear before I started.

I've been writing an article about Fairtrade chocolate and I am horrified! Did you know that, in spite of a pact signed in 2002 by all the major chocolate manufacturers, there's been no significant progress in ridding the industry of child labour (that in turn encourages trafficking and abuse)?

Children younger than 11 are being sold by their poverty-stricken parents. An able-bodied young man can be bought for as little as £20. They're kept in horrific conditions and beaten if they try to escape.

So it's Fairtrade chocolate for me from now on.

P.S. Jams recommends Green & Black's Milk Chocolate as being 'like manna'. Any other recommendations?
xx

6 comments:

jams o donnell said...

Good one Liz. Can I recommend Green 7 Blacks Milk Choc.. It's like Manna as far as I am concerned!

Gledwood said...

Most of British "milk" chocolate is non-dairy plant pus anyhow, did you know that?

I always made ultra-strong home cocoa drinks either boiling up milk the hardcore granny way or by heaping in the requisite 4 or 5 Everest-heaped spoonsful of industrially pre-determined chocolate orange or toffee cream flavoured "Highlights"-type drinks to which you just add boiling water and "real" milk as an "extra special treat"..!

Anna said...

Green & Blacks is owned by Cadbury's... are they out of the trafficking/slave labour circle?

Liz Hinds said...

Not all green and black's is fairtrade but they do source ethically. Cadburys is included in the potential bad guys.

CherryPie said...

That is one of the reasons that I only eat Green & Blacks chocolate! Maya Gold is the best one, Dark with a hint of orange!

sally in norfolk said...

I was amazed to read this.... :-(