Does Chocolate make you smile?

Roughly two-thirds of the entire world's cocoa is produced in West Africa, with close to half of the total sourced from the Ivory Coast. Individual cocoa farmers are paid prices that vary with the world markets. While investors trading in cocoa can dump shares at will, individual cocoa farmers cannot increase production or abandon trees which are their only livelihood.

Cocoa farmers are poorer than they were 30 years ago. An estimated 90% of cocoa farms in Ivory Coast have to use some form of slave or indentured labour in order to remain viable. Most cocoa farmers are forced to use their own or enslaved children to work in the fields, instead of sending them to school.

In 2001, this unacceptable practice caught the attention of the world's biggest chocolate consumers - the American public. Abhorrence of the use of child slave labor in the production of this beloved treat was voiced by consumers. In response, Nestle, M&M/Mars, and rest of the US chocolate industry agreed (via the Harken-Engel Protocol) to voluntarily take steps to end child slavery on cocoa farms by July of 2005.

Unfortunately, this deadline has now passed, and the chocolate industry has failed to comply with the terms of this agreement to end the abuse of children's rights.

The solution to unfair labor practices is FAIR TRADE (denoted by the "Fair Trade Certified" or "Fair Trade Federation" labels). Fair Trade guarantees producers the income they need to send their children to school and pay their workers fair wages, and provides consumers with a trusted guarantee that no forced or abusive child labor was used in the making of their products.

Since 2002, Global Exchange has been demanding that the US chocolate industry end labor abuses by selling Fair Trade chocolate. Consumers also need to take action to ensure that their favorite products are free from child labor.

Fair trade certified chocolate is produced by farmers who are paid a fair price and supported by a volunteer organisation who help the cocoa farmers build sustainable communities.

Project Hope and Fairness promote projects that help children go to school by paying school fess to chocoa growers so they dont have to send their children to the fields to pick cocoa pods every day of the year. They donate goods and services to groiwer communities to help them grow economically and sustainably.

For more information visit http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

There is a popular belief that the consumption of chocolate can cause pimples. Pure chocolate contains anti-oxidants which aid better skin complexion. It is not the chocolate itself but rather the milk solids and vegetable fats mixed into cheap chocolate that are the problem.

Pimples can cause you to feel unhappy,
however, chocolate makes you feel happy - so eat as much good quality fair trade chocolate as you can afford.

Be happy and enjoy your life but allow others to do so as well.

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