Thursday, September 13, 2007

Traffik free chocolate-DO you support child labor?

Did you know that the majority of the chocolate produced is prodiced on farms that use not only child labor but child slave labor? These children are kept in the harshest conditions and treated terribly to support our 13 billion dollar chocolate habit.I really never knew about slavery, human trafficking and the like. I mean, after all, I am a 40 something sahm, addicted to all things chocolate and I rarely have time to deal with big issues. But sometimes something catches your eye, eventhough you would have preferred that it didn't and this was one of those times. I know that as consumers we rule the producers. What we buy is what is produced. There are ways to encourage Hershey and Nestle and others to force the farms to comply with Fair Trade policies, mainly by buying fair trade chocolate and supporting fair trade and organic farmers. The trouble is, like for most of us, I can't always afford to do everythign I would like to. We, as consumers, have got to be able to educate ourselves on the issues and make our choices based on our ethics as well as our situation. I know that I can't afford to only buy fair trade chocolate. I do way too much baking.But I can afford to make small steps. I can a buy fair trade chocolate bar instead of a milky way. I can start slowly and work things in so that they are small changes, gradual changes but permanent changes. If everyone makes just a few changes then pretty soon there will be social change.I am looking at my kids. They are finishing up school right now, and we are about to sit down and fold laundry while we watch t.v. They are healthy and happy..well fed, well taken care of. Yet there are other children that are being ill treated, that subsist on bananas, that are beaten..so I can have a Milky Way? I don't think so. I dislike bloody chocolate, you know?On a completely different note:I am getting organized! Yay! Things are falling into place and i think I am almost at the point where i can face painting again. I do love this house. I just wish it was done!

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