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Author Topic: Christmas Chocolate & Child Slavery  (Read 2120 times)

litesong

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Christmas Chocolate & Child Slavery
« on: December 18, 2018, 10:36:54 AM »
Got a Christmas holiday chocolate that I've never had previously. Called Tony's Chocolonely, it is ~ 7 ounces of chunk chocolate from the Dutch & Belgium, with additive traces of dried orange, red wine powder, cloves, & cinnamon. Not a lover of wine, I find this chocolate OK. Other people may like the different tastes that accompany the chocolate. You can break out the Christmas tree shape in the center of the chunk chocolate with a hole for a string, so you can hang it on your Christmas tree. No pets allowed around the tree!
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Chocolonely advertises that their chocolate is produced 100% child slave-free & their desire is to eliminate child slavery.
http://www.foodispower.org/slavery-chocolate/
In the article:
Reports child slavery, human trafficking, suppression of information & deaths to reporters, by cocoa manufacturers(direct sourcing to Hersheys, Mars,  Nestles, etc, but hopefully NOT to Chocolonely). Chidren work with machetes AND even chainsaws, of course, with resultant injuries, severe maimings & deaths. As slaves, there is no access to education, escape from horrendous living conditions or guarantee to life. As slaves, guarantees of whippings abound. 
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Many chocolate companies advertise themselves as not involved in child slavery, but without severe adherence to morality within each company, which affects other companies in the international chocolate trade, millions & billions of dollars in careers & companies easily suck individuals & companies into chocolate child slavery.
As usual, companies operating with their own internal problems & in countries, torn up with war, terrorists, corrupt governments, no possibilities to rise out of poverty, religious suppression, environmental destruction, etc, have led to stalemated efforts to eliminate child slavery.
But, saying that, chocolate industry efforts to end child slavery amount to only the wages of 10 high paid executives.   
   
     
« Last Edit: December 18, 2018, 07:14:10 PM by litesong »

litesong

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Re: Christmas Chocolate & Child Slavery
« Reply #1 on: December 21, 2018, 03:58:05 AM »
Completely & long neglected, snake bites are finally recognized as major health problems around the world. More deadly than insect, scorpion, spider bites & other envenomings, it is estimated (guestimated?) there are 5.3(+?) million snake bites per year, resulting in 100,000 (200,000?)  deaths, 400,000 (more?) amputations, & unknown created long term diseases due to the bites. Of course, it has been noted that complications & deaths due to snake bites are NOT rich person's diseases, but borne by indigent farmers, & farm & field workers (sometimes people (kids) sleeping in houses). It has been said, that snake venoms are evolving & becoming more potent. With the total lack of support to slaves, child slaves & child slaves in cocoa farming, it can be surmised that health care given slaves are bad burials.... without complicated travels to hospitals or any records to inflate the given guestimates.
Anyone got information on snake bites to slaves.... child slaves in the cocoa industry?
« Last Edit: December 21, 2018, 04:23:26 AM by litesong »

Neven

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Re: Christmas Chocolate & Child Slavery
« Reply #2 on: December 21, 2018, 10:26:03 AM »
I recently read a Dutch news article saying that Tony Chocolonely is going to be sold to some big chocolate mogul (Nestles or some such), and people worry that it will be used to white/greenwash what the multinational is doing around the world, which is probably what will happen.

Anyway, chocolate isn't chocolate. It's mostly sugar with a taste that is described as 'chocolate'. Real chocolate tastes totally different.
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E. Smith

gerontocrat

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Re: Cobalt & Child Slavery
« Reply #3 on: December 21, 2018, 10:42:09 AM »
As people drive around in their wonderful EV's, perhaps nary a thought crosses their minds about where the cobalt in the battery originates.

Much comes from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). A BBC team has finished a documentary on the DRC, and tried to include an investigation into child labour in the cobalt mines. They left in a hurry - the investigation not done. The mines are owned by very powerful families.

It makes one wonder if there is any economic activity that does not involve an element of man's inhumanity to man.
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be cause

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Re: Christmas Chocolate & Child Slavery
« Reply #4 on: December 21, 2018, 10:55:47 AM »
Indeed Gerontocrat .. one of the many reasons I am trying to replace my recently written-off 20 year old Nissan Micra with a car of a similar age .. b.c.
There is no death , the Son of God is We .

litesong

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Re: Christmas Chocolate & Child Slavery
« Reply #5 on: December 22, 2018, 02:36:33 AM »
I recently read a Dutch news article saying that Tony Chocolonely is going to be sold to some big chocolate mogul (Nestles or some such), and people worry that it will be used to white/greenwash what the multinational is doing around the world.....
Wow!
Big chocolate has covered itself in mud for years. I thought Tony Chocolonely had a chance to break child chocolate slavery. Is TC traded on the stock market? What resources could they mount to resist a hostile take-over? If Tony Chocolonely is absorbed by Big chocolate, dilution of their moral stance would be close & only in the next door boardroom, where the corporate votes are cast.
« Last Edit: December 22, 2018, 02:42:27 AM by litesong »

litesong

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Re: Christmas Chocolate & Child Slavery
« Reply #6 on: December 22, 2018, 03:08:57 AM »
On the heels of Neven's information about the possible purchase of Tony Chocolonely, here is a wonderful article of gathering forces of some elements of the chocolate industry with effective steps to battle child slavery in cocoa farming:
https://www.barry-callebaut.com/news/2018/11/strategic-partnership-between-tonys-chocolonely-albert-heijn-and-barry-callebaut-sets
From the article:
The partnership between Tony’s Chocolonely, Albert Heijn and Barry Callebaut shows it is possible to make a difference on a large scale, and calls on other companies in the industry to join. “Together we make more impact. I’m thrilled that Albert Heijn and Barry Callebaut are joining us on our roadmap towards slave-free chocolate,” says Henk Jan Beltman, Chief Chocolate Officer with Tony’s Chocolonely. “We have always aimed to be exemplary and inspire others to act. Today our impact is bigger than our chocolate alone. We’re certain that this is just the first step on the journey to change the industry - together make chocolate 100% slave-free.”
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In the article are many other good pieces of news.
« Last Edit: December 22, 2018, 03:20:34 AM by litesong »

litesong

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Re: Christmas Chocolate & Child Slavery
« Reply #7 on: January 05, 2019, 11:54:34 PM »
Good deal at Cost Plus on Tony Chocolonely milk chocolate bars. Couldn't find TC in my own town, so we ordered some via the Cost Plus website. I stopped buying Hershey chocolate & was getting lonely for Tony Choco---lonely.