Nothing Tastes as Decadent as Child Exploitation: Systemic Slavery in the Cocoa Industry
While chocolate is marketed as a quintessential symbol of affection and celebration, the US$123 billion industry hides a systemic human rights crisis. Concentrated in West Africa, production relies on a “poverty trap” where farmers receive less than 6% of the final product’s value. Until farmer income increases fourfold, child exploitation will remain an inherent ingredient in the global cocoa supply chain.
