Have you ever wondered how products go from farm, to factory, to the supermarket shelves?
In our fast-paced culture of juggling work, home and social lives, it’s hard to stop and think about the process behind all our modern conveniences, such as finding an array of chocolate Easter eggs for purchase – each with different flavours or wrapping for that personal touch.
But just as the true story of Easter can often get lost amongst all the busyness and consumerism, we can also forget that every product we buy has a story. When we make a purchase, we buy into the story of that product.
Our
Don’t Trade Lives campaign has been working tirelessly since 2008 to ensure the story of chocolate is a positive, life-giving story. But there is still a lot of work to do.
Up to 70 percent of the world’s chocolate is grown in West Africa. This cocoa is used to make big brand chocolate and is regularly harvested, in part, by child or exploited labourers. Thousands of children have been trapped, often because of poverty, in work that prevents them from attending school or enjoying their childhood as we hope children in Australia do.
Thankfully, many chocolate companies have responded to this injustice. Through certification schemes like
Fairtrade and
UTZ Certified, some companies have released ethically certified chocolate – even Fairtrade Easter eggs!
This certification gives an assurance that products were made using internationally accepted labour standards that are not exploitative. This is great news, but there is still more to be done.
This Easter, think about the products you are buying, and the story they carry with them. We invite you to claim a new story of hope for yourself and the world’s children as we call on all chocolate companies to take important steps to encourage and contribute towards fullness of life for every child.
Things you can do:
- Look out for the new Cadbury Fairtrade Easter Egg!
- Visit chainstorereaction.com.au to ask companies you purchase from how they are helping to change the story for children and workers in poorer nations.
-Steve Cooke, Christian Engagement Team,
World Vision Australia This was originally published on the 4th of July 2011.