Is Nestle Trying To Do Better?
Almost every year at Halloween there was a Nestle boycott. Many people choose to skip their chocolates and candies in an effort to avoid slave labor. A blog was put up about it, and I wrote about it both here and here. There were several reasons for the Nestle boycott, ranging from their unethical infant formula marketing that kills thousands of infants each day to their slave labor chocolate farms where children are stolen and abused daily.
According to the International Labor Rights Forum:
Thousands of children in West Africa are forced to labor in the production of cocoa, chocolate’s primary ingredient. The West African nation of Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) is the leading supplier of cocoa, accounting for more than 40% of global production. Low cocoa prices and thus the need for lower labor costs drive farmers to employ children as a means to survive. The US Department of State estimates that more than 109,000 children in Cote d’Ivoire’s cocoa industry work under “the worst forms of child labor,” and that some 10,000 are victims of human trafficking or enslavement.
While few chocolate companies come out of this clean, Nestle is often the biggest target because it is one of the largest, if not the largest, buyers of cocoa in the world. If they were to take one step towards reducing slave trade chocolate if could practically change the world. And according to Treehugger, they’re doing just that.
Kit Kat is the best selling chocolate bar in the UK, with 1 billion sold annually. So when Nestle decides to make it Fairtrade, it is a big deal, and sweet news. Starting in January all of the four-finger bars will be made with Fairtrade cocoa, with the smaller ones following later.
It’s just one bar, in just one country. But it’s a step in the right direction. I’m certainly not saying we should call off the boycott just yet, but I’m excited to see where this change could lead them. The change is small but, like to the single starfish, it does make a difference.
Maybe we can try a little positive reinforcement. If you live in the UK buy up a stash of the fair trade Kit Kat bars when you see them. Maybe seeing sales go up after making the switch will encourage them to make other bars likewise. And if you live elsewhere, buy Fair Trade when you can. Send a message to your stores that they should stock more Fair Trade food items, send a message to big companies that there is a huge market for this, and send a message to the doubters that it’s not just for “limousine liberals.”
Because chocolate can taste just as good, be just as sweet, and make us just as happy without giving up our humanity for it.
I was in no way compensated for sharing this Fair Trade Rapunzel bar, I bought it with my own money at the grocery store last night. Other than the sheer joy I got from eating a chocolate bar for “blog research purposes.” Also, it was freaking delicious.
Interesting development. I wonder if they will change their labels to indicate that it is fair trade. In their reply to me, they said they had no plans to change labels. I assumed that was because they could not (i.e. their chocolate is not fair trade). Now that they apparently have some fair trade chocolate, will they be labeling it as such?
Personally, I won’t be running out to buy it. I would rather support other companies who are not doing all sorts of horrible things too. I don’t think that doing one thing right erases the other things they are doing wrong. That is why I don’t support Nestle’s supposed CSV activities.
Annie @ PhD in Parenting´s last blog ..Monkey see, monkey do? Images, media and public health
Interesting. I’m not totally aware of these issues. Thanks for this vert informative post.
very interesting. i hope this really is the new path that they continue to take. what a difference it would make! i’m cautiously optimistic!
crunchy domestic goddess (amy)´s last blog ..Readers of the Longmont Ledger, welcome to my blog
[...] few days ago, on my personal blog, I wrote a bit about Nestle making a small effort to become more sustainable. Chocolate is my weakness, and also one of the biggest problems in the international food world. [...]
When I first read about the Nestle boycott you spoke of here, I did some research and decided I would join in. The only two nestle products I bought were shredded wheat and kitkats. I found a cereal substitute easily; but the kitkats seemed almost unique (and yes, I live in the UK). In time I have found some similar bars, but this news has certainly brought a smile to my face and I can assure you, i’ll be doing a fair bit of buying and will happily write to the stores/fill in the comment sheets about this product to encourage them.
Thank you for reminding me I can make a difference (and eat chocolate while doing so).
~Rose.
Rose´s last blog ..Closing