October saw an 18.5% reduction in the farm gate price of cocoa in Ghana and Ivory Coast where more than 60% of the world’s cocoa comes from.
But a sale is a good thing, right? So, you might wonder why you haven’t seen a change in the price of your chocolate bar. That’s because lower cocoa prices only mean bigger profits for the big chocolate companies, and less income for cocoa farmers.
Tony’s Chocolonely, the chocolate makers on a mission to make 100% slave free the norm in chocolate, has launched an urgent appeal to all chocolate companies to match the Living Income Reference Price Tony’s pay cocoa farmers. This is calculated every year, so farmers can earn a living income.
The bitter truth for cocoa farmers is that the 18.5% price drop in Ghana and Ivory Coast, where more than 60% of the world’s cocoa comes from, will lead to increased poverty, modern slavery and illegal child labour – despite big chocolate companies having pledged for decades to eradicate these labour abuses from their supply chain.
That’s the difference between having enough food and going hungry, and between children being able to go to school and having to do dangerous work on cocoa farms.
Paul Schoenmakers, Head of Impact at Tony’s Chocolonely, commented, “In 2001 a pledge was made by the world’s biggest chocolate producers to end illegal child labour in the cocoa industry. Yet 20 years later, child labour and modern slavery are still systemic in cocoa.
“Low cocoa prices, which support the profits of large chocolate companies over the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, is a step in the wrong direction.”
It’s time for big chocolate companies to pay cocoa farmers in Ghana and Ivory Coast more, not less. This is critical to making 100% of chocolate slave free and fair.
Seven Hills is extremely proud to be working with Tony’s to make sure that this price drop doesn’t go under the radar. Choose Change and support the campaign to end the Big Choco steal today:
- Share the Tony’s Chocolonely campaign by calling for a price match on Twitter/Instagram. Use #TheBigChocoSteal and #TheCocoaPriceMatch and make your message heard by tagging big chocolate companies
- Encourage friends and family to support our campaign
- Enjoy your guilt-free, price-matched chocolate bar! Thank you for all your support