The Panorama programme Chocolate: the Bitter Truth, (Wednesday, 24 March) reported on the continued problem of child labour in West African cocoa farms. As the programme included Fairtrade producers, we wanted to give you more information about the issues raised, as we recognise that you may have queries.
Facebook: 25 March 2010
The programme identified the use of child labour in West African cocoa supply chains. This included Fairtrade-certified producers from the Ivory Coast and Ghana, but it also showed how, when identified by Fairtrade auditors, the issue was dealt with swiftly and compassionately.
Child labour is a serious and urgent issue in West Africa (it is estimated that up to 800,000 children are trafficked each year in the region) and it is inconceivable that Fairtrade cocoa producers could escape being affected by these issues.
Enforced child labour is an infringement of the UN Convention on the Rights of a Child.
The Fairtrade system explicitly prohibits child labour and when it is found by Fairtrade auditors, actions are taken to tackle the situation. Fairtrade is also part of the longer term solution to child labour.
The guaranteed minimum price, extra premium payments for investment in communities, and the democratic organisation of producers, all help to alleviate poverty and address the kind of issues which result in children being forced to work.
That is why so many of our Fairtrade producers proudly tell us how, because of their improved livelihoods, they are now able to send their children to school.
So it was encouraging to see in the programme how Fairtrade producer group Kuapa Kokoo � whom many of you will recognise as being the supplier of cocoa to Divine chocolate � handled the discovery of child labour by a Fairtrade auditor in an effective and appropriate manner.
Running a large co-operative of 45,000 cocoa farmers to such high standards is a credit to the work of the farmers and to Divine chocolate. But we must also recognise that there is much more work for Fairtrade to do to help address the serious issue of child labour across the whole of that region.
The practical nature of Fairtrade means that at the very least we can support Fairtrade cocoa producers by encouraging more sales of their products.
Panorama also raised some challenges like �Do we as consumers pay enough for our chocolate?� As Fairtrade consumers these are familiar concerns to us and it�s encouraging to see these questions being posed. This type of debate can help to engender greater support for Fairtrade and the work we are all doing to fight poverty.
http://www.traidcraft.co.uk/news_and_events/news/panorama_response
Dear Friends at Hampstead Parish Church
Thank you very much for taking part in Traidcraft�s Big Brew and raising money for Traidcraft Exchange. Your recent gift of �100 is greatly appreciated.
As you will be aware, times are tough for many of the hundreds of thousands of poor producers in Africa and Asia as they struggle to cope with huge environmental and financial challenges. In the current economic climate, we are also struggling to raise all the funds we need to help producers like Meenaksi fight poverty through trade. The gap between what we need and receive has grown wider and we are now faced with making some difficult decisions, which will affect the number of poor people we can help.
By holding a Big Brew you are standing alongside the poor and helping us to make a difference to thousands of producers, like Meenakshi across the world.
Meenakshi, one of the tea growers who has benefitted from this project explains the difference to her life
�I was very much worried about my life when the price for green tea leaves went for a nose dive….. I worked hard in my own land but with less return which led me to indebtedness….. now being a member in small tea grower society, I feel that I am respected more by my family members, relatives and neighbours…. I am proud of the confidence in myself which has given me a greater control over income and willingness to guide and support other small tea growers.�
Thank you on behalf of everyone at Traidcraft for taking part in the Big Brew and helping us to fight poverty through trade.
Supporter Relations Team