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   Chocolate & cocoa industry   

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NEW (recent additions to this section; top item is most recent addition)

'Chocolate for footballs' scheme criticised [UK] - Cadbury has been criticised for a promotional scheme that encourages children to eat large amounts of chocolate in exchange for sports gear. (BBC News, 29 Apr. 2003)

press release: West Africa: Stop Trafficking in Child Labor - Child labor on cocoa farms "tip of the iceberg" - West African governments are failing to address a rampant traffic in child labor that could worsen with the region’s growing AIDS crisis, Human Rights Watch charged in a new report released today...Human Rights Watch called on the Togolese government to ratify international treaties prohibiting child trafficking, and made detailed recommendations to the governments of Togo, Gabon, Nigeria, Benin, Niger, Ivory Coast and Ghana regarding the prevention and punishment of trafficking, as well as the protection of trafficked children. (Human Rights Watch, 1 Apr. 2003)

Websites:

Chocolate and Cocoa.org (official site for the U.S. chocolate industry)

Global Chocolate Industry Plan to Combat Abusive Child Labor (Candy USA: National Confectioners Association & Chocolate Manufacturers Association)

International Cocoa Organization

Other materials:

2003:

'Chocolate for footballs' scheme criticised [UK] - Cadbury has been criticised for a promotional scheme that encourages children to eat large amounts of chocolate in exchange for sports gear. (BBC News, 29 Apr. 2003)

press release: West Africa: Stop Trafficking in Child Labor - Child labor on cocoa farms "tip of the iceberg" - West African governments are failing to address a rampant traffic in child labor that could worsen with the region’s growing AIDS crisis, Human Rights Watch charged in a new report released today...Human Rights Watch called on the Togolese government to ratify international treaties prohibiting child trafficking, and made detailed recommendations to the governments of Togo, Gabon, Nigeria, Benin, Niger, Ivory Coast and Ghana regarding the prevention and punishment of trafficking, as well as the protection of trafficked children. (Human Rights Watch, 1 Apr. 2003)

Sale of Fairtrade products doubles [UK] - Sales of goods that promise a better deal for farmers in developing countries have more than doubled in three years, it was announced at the weekend...Sainsbury's now sells around 1 million Fairtrade bananas a week, and has own-brand coffee, tea, and chocolate that carry the Fairtrade certification mark. Last November the Co-op supermarket chain announced it was switching all its own-brand chocolate to Fairtrade. (David Brown, Guardian [UK], 3 Mar. 2003)

Bittersweet Chocolate -...The most recent survey of conditions on West African cocoa farms...estimated that nearly 300,000 children work in dangerous conditions on cocoa farms in the four countries surveyed -- Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon...[D]espite committing themselves 16 months ago to a highly publicized four-year plan to abolish child slaves and laborers from the cocoa farms with whom they do business, the chocolate industry...has managed to continue making and selling products without demonstrating any discernible progress in solving the child labor problem. [refers to Hershey's, M&M/Mars, Nestlé, Archer Daniels Midland, Cadbury, Guittard, Bernard Callebaut, Archer Daniels Midland, Cargill; Fair Trade licensees: Dean's Beans, Ithaca Fine Chocolates, Day Chocolate, Cocoa Camino; companies choosing not to buy from West Africa: Scharffen Berger Chocolate; companies selling "slave free" organic chocolate: Newman's Own, Dagoba] (Caroline Tiger, Salon.com, 14 Feb. 2003)

2002:

The Co-op switches to Fairtrade chocolate in move to fight slavery - Anti-Slavery International welcomes the Co-op's announcement that it will switch its entire own-brand chocolate bars to Fairtrade chocolate in 2,400 stores across the UK, bringing fairly traded cocoa firmly into the mainstream market. (Anti-Slavery International, 26 Nov. 2002)

CHILD LABOR: Cocoa Industry Plans To Educate West African Farmers -...Government, private sector and nongovernmental organization representatives said they would seek to set up educational organizations in the region's major cocoa-producing nations -- Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Cameroon and Ghana -- to find alternatives to child labor. (UN Wire, 19 Nov. 2002)

Child Labor Suffers in West Africa - Poverty and poor education will make it tough to end child labor on the West African plantations that produce most of the world's cocoa, delegates at a conference said Monday. (Kwasi Kpodo, Associated Press, 18 Nov. 2002)

What can corporate responsibility do in the fight against poverty in Africa? Maya Forstater looks at what business can be realistically expected to contribute to African development and outlines some specific examples of corporate engagement to date...DaimlerChrysler: making cars out of Sisal [South Africa, Brazil]...Divine Chocolate: Bringing farmers to market [Day Chocolate Company; The Body Shop; Ghana]...The Woodlands 2000 Trust [tree farming in Kenya]...South African Breweries...Coca-Cola: measuring the business contribution to economic development [Morocco, South Africa]...Supporting SME development: Richards Bay Minerals [South Africa] (Maya Forstater, in Ethical Corporation Magazine, 11 Nov. 2002)

I pick cocoa beans but I've never tasted chocolate [Ghana]...But Day Chocolate is different. It buys all its cocoa through Fairtrade...Kuapa Kokoo is the only cocoa-buying company in Ghana which integrates women's projects into its business...To date, there have been 504 loans from Kuapa Kokoo to help women set up businesses in 22 cocoa-farming communities. (Jill Foster, Mirror [UK], 5 Nov. 2002)

NATURAL RESOURCES: Consumer Demand Still Fueling Wars, NGO Says - A new report released today by the nongovernmental Worldwatch Institute urges better monitoring of trade in natural resources taken from conflict zones, saying that such imports fuel brutal conflicts in the developing world..."Brutal wars over natural resources like coltan -- a mineral that keeps cell phones and other electronic equipment functioning -- diamonds, tropical woods and other rare materials have killed or displaced more than 20 million people and are raising at least $12 billion a year for rebels, warlords, repressive government and other predatory groups around the world," the institute says...Opium, gems, oil, timber, natural gas, precious metals, coffee and cocoa are among the resources cited as helping to pay for wars over the past 50 years. (UN Wire, 17 Oct. 2002)

Labor Department and USAID Release Data from Collaborative Survey on Child Labor on Cocoa Farms in West Africa - West African Governments and U.S. Chocolate Manufacturers Working Jointly with U.S. to Eliminate Problem (U.S. Department of Labor, 17 Sep. 2002)

Firm fined for chopped finger [New Zealand] - A Hamilton firm was fined $4800 yesterday after a young worker had part of a finger chopped off by a chocolate-making machine. (New Zealand Herald, 21 Aug. 2002)

WEST AFRICA: Institute Says Most Child Cocoa Workers Not Trafficked -...The institute studied at least 1,000 households in each of four countries: Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire...The report indicates that about one-tenth of 130,000 children working in the Ivorian cocoa industry have no family ties to their employers, adding that under 1 percent of Ivorian farmers acknowledged employing full-time permanent child workers. (UN Wire, 8 Aug. 2002)

Ethical sourcing codes – the answer to supply chain sustainability concerns? Sarah Roberts looks at implementing ethical sourcing codes and the challenges of gaining certification [refers to clothing and footwear sectors; logging/forest products sector including firms Sappi, Mondi; building materials/do-it-yourself sector including firms Homebase, B&Q; chocolate industry] (Sarah Roberts, National Centre for Business and Sustainability, in Ethical Corporation Magazine, 1 Aug. 2002)

Child labour rife in cocoa sector - A survey released on Thursday details the true extent of child labour in the cocoa sector of West Africa. Dr Rodomiro Ortiz at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Nigeria, told the BBC's World Business Report that 254,000 children had been identified as working in hazardous conditions. (BBC News, 1 Aug. 2002)

CHILD LABOR: U.S. Says 284,000 Do Hazardous Work On Cocoa Farms - As many as 284,000 child laborers work in hazardous conditions on cocoa farms in West Africa, the bulk of them in Cote d'Ivoire and the majority alongside their parents, the U.S. Agency for International Development and Labor Department said as they released new figures Friday. (UN Wire, 29 July 2002)

New Initiative to Combat Child Slave Labor in Cocoa Fields Hailed - The launch of a new initiative to fight child and slave labor in West African cocoa fields, announced this week in Geneva, is being hailed as a new landmark in pressuring big corporations to take responsibility for social and working conditions in impoverished countries where they buy their primary commodities. (Jim Lobe, One World, 4 July 2002)

CHILD LABOR: New Foundation Launched To Fight Problem In Cocoa Industry - The world's chocolate and cocoa companies yesterday announced a new industry-funded foundation to combat child slavery on cocoa farms. The initiative is the result of an agreement reached last October between world chocolate industry representatives, child labor activists and U.S. lawmakers. (UN Wire, 2 July 2002)

{···français} Enfants exploités - Plus de 211 millions d'enfants âgés de 5 à 14 ans sont contraints de travailler...Les entreprises multinationales ne sont pas les dernières à profiter de cette exploitation des mineurs. Entre autres, celles du tabac (Philip Morris, Altadis), de la banane (Chiquita, Del Monte) et du cacao (Cargill). Au Malawi, par exemple, dont l'industrie du tabac est le premier employeur, des dizaines de milliers d'enfants sont exploités pour la récolte et le séchage des feuilles de tabac. En Equateur, des enfants de 7 à 8 ans travaillent dans les champs de bananes douze heures par jour. En Côte d'Ivoire, premier producteur mondial de cacao, des milliers d'enfants-esclaves seraient utilisés pour le travail dans les plantations. (Ignacio Ramonet, Le Monde diplomatique, juillet 2002)

Making Fair Trade Work in Mexico - In Mexico, a growing number of coops, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), microenterprises, and campesino groups are proving that fair trade offers a viable alternative to communities struggling to cope with globalization [refers to initiatives relating to agriculture, food, cosmetics, coffee, ecotourism, chocolate, retail; also refers to indigenous groups] (Talli Nauman, Americas Program, Interhemispheric Resource Center, July 2002)

Customs Complaint on Forced Child Labor in Cocoa Production in Cote D'Ivoire - On May 30, 2002 the International Labor Rights Fund filed a petition with the US Customs Service on May 30, demanding enforcement of laws prohibiting the importation of goods made with forced child labor. The petition focused on the existence of child slavery in the production of cocoa from Cote D'Ivoire, used in the manufacture of chocolate in the United States. (International Labor Rights Fund, 27 June 2002)

Over 200 Religious, Labor, and Human Rights Groups Calls on M&M/Mars to Offer Fair Trade Chocolate - Groups Say Consumers Would Be Shocked to Learn How Bitterness of Exploitation Taints Their Favorite Chocolate - More than 200 religious organizations, labor, consumer, environmental, public health, and human rights groups are calling on M&M/Mars to ensure fair labor practices for cocoa workers. (Global Exchange, 17 June 2002)

U.S. ban sought on cocoa produced by child slaves - A labor-rights advocacy group [International Labor Rights Fund] asked the U.S. government Thursday to ban imports of cocoa from Ivory Coast, saying a new investigation revealed that little had been done to stop the use of child slave labor in its harvesting. (Steven Thomma, San Jose Mercury News [USA], 31 May 2002)

Sweet success for anti-slavery lobby - Britain's major chocolate-makers have endorsed an initiative to phase out slavery and child labour in cocoa plantations in West Africa...Industry associations, whose members include Cadbury Schweppes, Mars and Nestlé, signed an agreement with the International Labour Organisation this month to persuade cocoa-growers to eliminate illegal labour practices by 2005. (Severin Carrell, Independent [UK], 19 May 2002)

Europe's sweetmakers dismiss US toxic chocolate claims - Europe's confectioners yesterday strongly rejected a U.S. lawsuit alleging top chocolate makers had failed to disclose that some products contained hazardous levels of toxic metals such as lead. (Trevor Datson, Reuters, 10 May 2002) 

Chocolate makers sued for lead content of products [USA] - An environmental group yesterday sued chocolate companies including Hershey and Mars for not disclosing the amount of toxic metals such as lead that are in their products, as required under California law...the American Environmental Safety Institute said research shows that dangerous levels of lead and cadmium in chocolate pose a serious health risk, especially to children...The environmental group cited Mars Inc., Hershey Foods Corp. , Nestle USA Inc. , Kraft Foods NorthAmerica Inc., Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Inc. and See's Candies Inc. for violating California's Proposition 65 (Reuters, 9 May 2002)

Child Labour to Be Combated in Cocoa Regions - Pilot programmes against abusive child and forced labour in West Africa's cocoa industry are to be launched in September, in accordance with a memorandum of cooperation signed between stakeholders in the cocoa and chocolate industry. (UN Integrated Regional Information Networks, 3 May 2002)

WEST AFRICA: Coalition Aims To Abolish Child Slavery In Cocoa Fields - An international coalition of chocolate makers and processors, human rights groups and unions joined forces Wednesday to adopt a memorandum of cooperation that aims to eradicate the use of child slaves on West African cocoa fields (UN Wire, 3 May 2002)

Pact to end African 'chocolate slavery' - Chocolate manufacturers, human rights groups and the Ivory Coast Government have signed pact aimed at ending the abuse of child labour in the chocolate industry. (BBC News, 2 May 2002)

Chocolate industry signs African child labour pact - The cocoa and chocolate industry yesterday took a step toward ending long-standing abusive child labour practices in the cocoa trade of West Africa, where 56% of cocoa beans are grown. Chocolate makers and processors said they want to end the mistreatment in Ivory Coast and Ghana in particular. (Reuters, on website of South African Broadcasting Corporation, 2 May 2002)

Open Letter on Plan to Combat Abusive Child Labor - We are extremely concerned about allegations of abusive labor practices on cocoa farms in Africa. We condemn any abusive practices and are committed to bringing about permanent change. (Larry Graham, President of Chocolate Manufacturers Association and National Confectioners Association, 15 Apr. 2002)

Rights group to pressure M&M on trade: Non-profit organization Global Exchange plans to begin a campaign this weekend intended to pressure privately held chocolate manufacturer M&M/Mars to use so-called "fair trade certified" cocoa beans (Carole Vaporean, Reuters, 28 Mar. 2002)

{···français} Le Gabon prend conscience du phénomène du trafic d'enfants (AFP, 16 mars 2002)

Chocolate's dark secret: Industry faces charges that slave labor is used in the Ivory Coast to harvest cocoa beans (Dennis Murphy, MSNBC, 14 Mar. 2002)

Poor farmers taste success - Fairtrade is making headway but is still a tiny part of global trade [refers to coffee industry, cocoa/chocolate industry, Max Havelaar coffee brand, Cafedirect, Starbucks, Sainsbury, Co-op, Day Chocolate Company] (Roger Cowe, Financial Times, 4 Mar. 2002)

Food for thought: Corporate Social Responsibility for food and beverage manufactures -  An introduction for policy-setters and operational managers, featuring best practice from eight leading companies in the food and beverage sector. [includes reference to social & environmental issues; cocoa, coffee, tea & banana sectors; Tea Sourcing Partnership in the UK; Chiquita/Rainforest Alliance's 'Better Banana Project'] (Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum, Mar. 2002)

See's urged to shun cocoa from child labor:...Global Exchange, a San Francisco-based human-rights organization, will stage demonstrations today at two See's stores in San Diego and 29 of the company's outlets elsewhere to protest the use of child labor in the cocoa-farming industry. The actions by the group are also designed to pressure See's and other candy manufacturers like Mars and Hershey's to begin using cocoa produced on so-called Fair Trade cooperatives in Africa and Latin America. (Frank Green, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Feb. 2002)

Consumers force chocolate industry to takes steps to stop slave production: Are those steps enough? What consumers ought to know and can do [refers to Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire; Hershey's, Nestle, M&M/Mars, La Siembra, Just Us] (Paul Pellizzari, Straight Goods [Canada], 10 Feb. 2002)

Values in the supply chain - In Focus 3: The executive summary - Value Chains: Lessons from the Kenya tea and Indonesia cocoa sectors - Summary (Ally Bedford, Mick Blowfield, Duncan Burnett and Peter Greenhalgh; Natural Resources Institute, Resource Centre for the Social Dimensions of Business Practice, 2002)

2001:

The Chocolate Industry: Slavery Lurking Behind the Sweetness -...The industry says it will have a program for eliminating child labor in place by July 2004. With child slaves continuing to suffer, this is an outrage...GX [Global Exchange] is launching a campaign targeting the two biggest US chocolate corporations -- Hershey's and M&M/Mars. We are demanding that the corporations take immediate steps to end child slavery and that they commit to purchasing at least five percent of their cocoa as Fair Trade Certified. (Global Exchange, Global Exchange Newsletter, Winter 2002, 11 Dec. 2001)

International alliance joins forces to address child labour abuse in the West African cocoa sector: The global cocoa and chocolate industry today joined a diverse group of partners to sign a joint statement re-affirming the urgent need to end the worst forms of child labour and forced labour in cocoa cultivation and processing in West Africa. The joint statement was signed by representatives of non-governmental organisations, anti-slavery and human rights experts, consumer groups and labour representatives. (National Confectioners Association/Chocolate Manufacturers Association, 1 Dec. 2001)

It's enough to make you sick -...So, are the chocolatiers, by agreeing to the Protocol, finally accepting responsibility for slave labour used on cocoa farms - and effectively admitting that they had previously turned a blind eye? [refers to Mars, Nestlé, Cadbury, BCCCA (Biscuit, Cake, Chocolate and Confectionery Alliance), Day Chocolate Company, Green & Black's] (Charlotte Williamson, Evening Standard [London], 26 Oct. 2001)

US chocolate industry agrees to end forced labour on cocoa farms: Free the Slaves, Anti-Slavery International's associate in the United States, has successfully won a commitment from the Chocolate Manufacturers Association to end 'slavery, serfdom, and debt bondage in the growing and processing of West African cocoa beans and their derivative products'. This follows the 1 October Protocol in which the US cocoa and chocolate industry agrees to eliminate child slavery from the chocolate industry. (Anti-Slavery International, 16 Oct. 2001)

US Protocol aims to end child slavery in cocoa fields: On 1 October, the international cocoa and chocolate industry signed a Protocol in the United States to eliminate child slavery in the chocolate industry...Anti-Slavery welcomes the introduction of the Protocol as a positive move by the chocolate industry to take responsibility for labour practices throughout its supply chain. However, we are concerned that it might fail to address the situation of young adults (18 years and older) who may find themselves working under conditions of forced labour. It is vital that any investigation and subsequent strategy tackle all forms of forced labour and also address the conditions that foster trafficking in the region, principally poverty and lack of alternatives. (Anti-Slavery International, 4 Oct. 2001)

CHILD SLAVERY: Chocolate Makers Announce Plan On Labor Practices - The international chocolate industry and members of the U.S. Congress have announced a four-year plan to eliminate child slave labor on cocoa farms in Africa and certify slavery-free cocoa (UN Wire, 3 Oct. 2001)

US to act on cocoa slavery: Chocolate manufacturers and US members of Congress have agreed a programme aimed at stopping the use of coerced child labour to grow cocoa. (BBC News, 2 Oct. 2001)

Agreement to end child labour on cocoa farms: The International Labour Organization (ILO) today welcomed the agreement between two members of the U.S. Congress and representatives of the world chocolate industry to eliminate child slavery on West African cocoa plantations and end the worst forms of child labour in the global cocoa-chocolate sector. (International Labour Organization, 1 Oct. 2001)

Chocolate industry to target child slavery on cocoa farms: The chocolate industry will announce today that it has accepted responsibility for labor practices on cocoa farms and will work with child labor specialists, lawmakers, growers, and unions to eliminate child slavery and other forms of exploitation. (Sumana Chatterjee, Knight Ridder, in Boston Globe, 1 Oct. 2001)

CHILD SLAVERY: Chocolate Industry Aims To Target Labor Practices - ...Experts say that such an announcement would mark the first time an agricultural industry has taken responsibility for its product from the time it is picked to the time it goes to market. (UN Wire, 1 Oct. 2001)

New WRM [World Rainforest Movement] book on the impacts of oil palm plantations: Soap, lipsticks, chocolate or perfumes are difficult to perceive as products associated to deforestation and human rights abuses in the tropics. However, this can easily be the case when one of their components is palm oil, though few people outside the plantation areas are aware about this. The first aim of this book is thus to highlight the impacts associated with large-scale oil palm plantations by providing a general overview of the problem and a broad range of country-level situations, ranging from articles to detailed case studies in Africa, Asia and Latin America. (WRM Bulletin, World Rainforest Movement, Sep. 2001)

Internationally-backed group to study use of child labour in west Africa: An internationally-backed group of experts are to carry out a study over the next three to four months of the use of child labour in five west African countries [Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Ghana, Guinea and Nigeria], study group members told AFP here. (Agence France Presse, 11 Aug. 2001)

Travel pass to stop trafficking: Mali has introduced travel passes for children to prevent them being trafficked to work illegally in neighbouring West African countries, the government said on Thursday.  Children from Mali and Burkina Faso are at the centre of an international outcry over their employment as labourers on cocoa and cotton plantations in Ivory Coast. (Reuters / News24 [South Africa], 9 Aug. 2001)

COTE D'IVOIRE: National Commission To Fight Child Trafficking - Cote d'Ivoire has approved the creation of a national commission to fight child trafficking and slavery amid international accusations that up to 90% of its cocoa supplies are produced by child slaves. (UN Wire, 2 Aug. 2001)

Chocolate Industry Prepares to Fight 'Slave-Free' Labels: The chocolate industry and its allies are mounting an intense lobbying campaign to fight off legislation [pending before U.S. Senate] that would lead to "slave free" labels for their products. (Sumana Chatterjee, Knight Ridder, 1 Aug. 2001)

UK Government hosts meeting to discuss how to tackle slave labour: On the 25 July 2001, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) hosted a workshop to discuss working practices in cocoa production in West Africa. (Anti-Slavery International, 31 July 2001)

{···français} Des chocolatiers américains chez le ministre Douati [Côte d'Ivoire]: Des représentants de l’Association américaine des chocolatiers étaient récemment les invités du ministre de l’Agriculture et des Ressources animales, M. Alphonse Douati. Ils étaient venus présenter le cadre global du “Programme pour le développement durable des cultures pérennes” (STCP) , qui est actuellement en expérimentation dans cinq pays. (Koné Fidel, Notre Voie [Côte d'Ivoire], 30 juillet 2001)

Resolution on agricultural working practices [encouraging relevant governments "to investigate and eradicate any criminal child labour activity that might exist in their territory in the field of agricultural working practices, in close co-operation with UNICEF, other such organizations and the private sector"].  (International Cocoa Council, International Cocoa Organization [ICCO], 9-10 July 2001)

Child 'slave' labour and the West African cocoa industry (International Business Leaders Forum, July 2001)

Chocolate giant 'shocked' over slave-labor reports: Hershey Foods, the nation's largest chocolate-maker, is "shocked" and "deeply concerned" that its products, such as Hershey's Kisses, Nuggets, chocolate bars and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, may be tainted by child slave labor, a company official said. (Bob Fernandez, Knight Ridder Newspapers, in Seattle Times, 24 June 2001)

Chocolate Manufacturers Association Launches Initiative to Address West African Labor Issues (Chocolate Manufacturers Association, 22 June 2001)

Africa's child labor numbers said to be rising (Sarah El-Deeb, Associated Press, 30 May 2001)

COTE D'IVOIRE: 39 Trafficked Children Intercepted Since September (UN Wire, 24 May 2001)

Action pledge on child labour [by Côte d'Ivoire government] (Adrienne Roberts, Financial Times, 9 May 2001)

UK joins fight against 'chocolate slavery': The UK has joined efforts to fight child labour and poverty on west African cocoa plantations. (BBC News, 4 May 2001)

Ivory Coast accuses chocolate companies [Ivory Coast tells chocolate companies they will have to pay more for cocoa if child slavery is to end in West Africa] (Humphrey Hawksley, BBC News, 4 May 2001)

Cadbury probes supply chain [amid concern about labour practices in West Africa's cocoa industry] (Adam Jones, Financial Times, 4 May 2001)

West Africa poverty fuels fears of child slavery: Falling commodity prices and hopes of a better life prompt widespread use of children as labourers, writes William Wallis (William Wallis, Financial Times, 3 May 2001)

SLAVE TRADE: UNICEF, Benin Confirm Child Trafficking - European Chocolate Firms Meet to Formulate Anti-Slavery Pledges (UN Wire, 1 May 2001)

Slavery: the chocolate companies have their say (Simon Jeffery and Ben Stafford, Guardian [UK], 19 Apr. 2001)

Chocolate's bitter legacy: profit on backs of children - Ivory Coast industry runs on child labour (Mike Shahin, Ottawa Citizen [Canada], 18 Apr. 2001)

Benin 'slave ship' reveals West Africa's child trafficking problem (Anti-Slavery International, 18 Apr. 2001)

'Chocolate slaves' carry many scars (Neil Tweedie, Daily Telegraph [UK], 17 Apr. 2001)

2000:

Côte d'Ivoire claims to take action on child slave workers (afrol.com, 13 Oct. 2000)

Only remote Ivorian farms use child labour, farming figure says (Reuters, on CNN.com, 6 Oct. 2000)

Cadbury response to a letter concerning the use of slavery on cocoa farms in Côte d'Ivoire (letter from Cadbury Consumer Relations, UnfairTrade.co.uk, undated)

The Daily Mail City Editor on extra responsibilities at Cadbury Schweppes (Alex Brummer, Daily Mail [UK], 30 Sep. 2000)

Massive use of slaves on Ivorian cocoa plantations documented (afrol.com, 29 Sep. 2000)

A Good Taste in the Mouth (Roger Trapp, Independent [UK], 16 July 2000)

1997:

Statement on slavery and chocolate production (Anti-Slavery International, 1997)