Thursday, Sep 18, 2008

The truth about chocolate is not so sweet

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We often question the origin of commodities like meat and dairy products but have you ever wondered where your chocolate comes from? The Ivory Coast is the world's largest cocoa producer, providing 43% of the world's cocoa. Harvesting cocoa is intensive and back-breaking work, which for centuries was a job undertaken by poor people. In the last decade the declining cost of coca beans has brought about the exploitation of children in West Africa. Carol Off has documented the practices of slavery and the tainted history of cocoa in her recent book, Bitter Chocolate, Investigating the Dark Side of the World’s Most Seductive Sweet. Ellice Mol has this story.

Carol Off is on a campaign to stop the exploitation of Children on Cocoa farms in West Africa. Her book Bitter Chocolate, Investigating the Dark Side of the Worlds most Seductive Sweet is published by University of Queensland press.

Posted by Ellice Mol at 8:30 AM |   

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1 Comments:

Ellice Mol said...

This story moved me quite a lot. Carol Off's novel reveals some shocking facts. It's horrifying to think that purchasing a product from the rows and rows of chocolate available on supermarket shelves is funding weapons that kill people in countries like the Ivory Coast and driving a culture of child exploitation.

1:48 AM