October 31st – everyone knows this date as none other
than Halloween, a day filled with dressing up, being
anyone we wish to be for 24 hours, and of course,Trick-or-Treating. Every
Halloween, little kids go out with their parents/loved ones, drifting from door-to-door
in hopes of getting a chocolate bar or some other sweets. Now the question that
often pesters me is: where does the production of our chocolate originate? Much
to my dismay, companies – such as Nestle – acquire their supply of cocoa beans
(used when manufacturing their chocolate bars) from a state in Africa called
Ivory Coast. On numerous occasions, the production of cocoa beans is carried out in very
hazardous conditions by child labourers and farmers. Imagine children in this
part of the world are struggling to harvest, ferment, and dry these cocoa
beans, just so Westernized children can have the privilege of going
trick-or-treating for the chocolate made by these African children.
FLA and the agreement with Nestlé
“The use of child labour in our cocoa supply chain goes against
everything we stand for. As the FLA report makes clear, no company sourcing
cocoa from Côte d’Ivoire can guarantee that it doesn’t happen, but what we can
say is that tackling child labour is a top priority for our company,” said José Lopez, Nestlé’s
ExecutiveVice President for Operations.
The Fair Labour Association (FLA) concluded that Nestlé would work alongside
its partner, the International
Cocoa Initiative (ICI) – a foundation that works with the cocoa industry, the local communities, and
trade unions. Their goal is to set up a new monitoring and remedy scheme for
the child labourers and farmers in the African cocoa industry. For
instance, this can be seen with the new farmer field schools (pg. 4-6).
But is this new monitoring scheme all we need to eradicate child
labour in the cocoa industry? Unfortunately, this cannot be fully diminished if
education is not a part of these children's lives. They need instructions on how to properly handle the 'hazardous tools', first
aid training, and further details on the processes it takes to transform the cocoa beans from it's natural form to
that of a roasted variety (i.e. from bean
to bar). In working with the ICI,
One of the dominant views on the discourse of child labour is: if a child is spending majority of their time working,
this takes away crucial time from receiving an education as well as diminishing
their development. By depriving them of their education, they are at a
disadvantage and have limited access to the tools they need to be functioning
well in society as they get older – harming the formation of human capital.
On the other hand, Working children can also be recognized as
children who have lost their childhood, not as individual workers. So long as
this view is apparent in our society, the less likely these children will ever
have a chance of obtaining a “worker status” for shorter hours, better pay, and
healthier work conditions (something that is crucial for them). Yet, as a student I could say the same thing about working and attending school – the damage and stress of studying for long hours, then having to work hard in order to continue receiving an education. In third-world countries, school is often under the supervision of poorly trained teachers in rundown buildings
(Wells, Karen, 2009). This continues to go unrecognized as schools are presumed to be a
good, safe environment for children – so why bother going to a school in such poor conditions? For all we know, working could be a better option to these children, especially if school is too
expensive.
After all, a child does know what is best for their well-being. Thus, we need to turn away from this Western ideal of childhood as it is clouding our judgment – not every childhood is the same worldwide. Children develop both biologically and culturally (through race, gender, etc), experiencing diverse cultures and norms that help to shape their development individually. Perhaps, to some working is considered a ‘norm’ in terms of describing their childhood (e.g. Ivory Coast). In my opinion, working should be defined as a means of survival, providing an income for you and your families, etc. With that being said, these children still should not be victimized by the worst forms of child labour: i.e. hazardous labour, illicit activities, armed conflict, prostitution, trafficking, etc., but rather have their rights heard on what is suitable for them.
Personally,
I feel a little conflicted with the topic of child labour. I believe every young
child deserves time for play, happiness, the right to learn in a stress-free
environment, and a loving family. Unfortunately, not every child can be blessed with this
lifestyle, which makes it incredibly heart-breaking. I often think to myself:
am I being selfish for living this privileged life as a white, middle class female, while other kids are
suffering around the world? How unnecessary items are left in my household
collecting dust while kids are trying to scramble up every penny they can get;
e.g. by asking by-standers if they want to stand on a scale to check their
weight and in return pay a few pennies. Something so simple that people in
a Western society may take for granted. Child labour simply needs to be monitored and not to be pursued as something crucial a child needs in order to survive. They need to be given other safe, attainable options that do not involve being in danger almost every minute of the day.
Kit-Kat: Give the child slaves a break
Although it is quite difficult to boycott Nestlé products, here is a list if anyone is interested in making your chocolate purchases (perhaps for Halloween) more ethical: ethical fair-trade chocolate/candy ideas from Babble.
Other Sources:
Wells, Karen (2009). Childhood in a global perspective. Malden, MA (USA): Polity Press
