educationeducation series series / / 3 3 Hand Made Change At Trade Aid we’re all about change. slavery We’re helping talented people around the world improve their lives today through trade. Find out more at www.tradeaid.org.nz

PO Box 35-049, Christchurch. Ph. 64 3 385 3535 www.tradeaid.org.nz Trade Aid Education Series, edited by Sally Blundell.

Printed by Federal Print on Cover image: Cocoa beans fermenting in the 100% post-consumer recycled Children work on a coffee plantation in Kenya. Photo: Robin Romano/ Dominican Republic (photo GlobalAware courtesy CONACADO) paper using vegetable inks. learning issues / Trade Aid education series / 3 The cost of chocolate

Drying cocoa beans for CONACADO in the Cocoa farmers harvesting cocoa beans Children at the Kuapo Kokoo cocoa-producing Dominican Republic for sale through the El Ceibo farmers’ co- co-operative in Ghana operative in Bolivia

Our sweetest treat is tainted labour from the supply chain Learn more: by the widespread use by 2005. This target was The Dark Side of Chocolate, of slave labour. A recent not achieved, nor was the film by U. Roberto Romano report commissioned by subsequent goal to certify www.cultureunplugged.com the US Government found half of all cocoa farms child that more than 1.8 million labour-free by 2008. “Over Modern Slavery by Kevin children in West Africa the last 10 years we have Bales et al (Oneworld, were involved in growing seen very little implementa- 2009). cocoa.10 While the number tion of the actual commit- Not for Sale: The Return of children employed in ments,” Tulane University’s of the Global Slave cocoa farming appears to Chris Bayer told CNN in Trade by David Batstone be decreasing, researchers January 2012.11 (HarperCollins, 2009) at Tulane University in the Trade Aid drinking choco- Free the Slaves, US have calculated that, late and baking cocoa use www.freetheslaves.net during a 12-month period cocoa from small-scale in 2007 and 2008, 819,921 organic farms in the children were working on Dominican Republic. Its 1 This figure is given by Free the Slaves cocoa farms in Côte d’Ivoire chocolate is manufactured president Kevin Bales and is used by global institutions (source of about 35 percent in Switzerland and Belgium 2 Kevin Bales, Modern Slavery, Oneworld of the world’s cocoa produc- using cocoa from Fairtrade- Publications, 2009, 18 3 Bales, 55 tion) and 997,357 were do- certified co-operatives in 4 Bales, 31 5 ILO, 2005 Global Report on Forced Labor ing so in Ghana. Attempts to a number of countries. 6 Cassandra Clifford, “Modern Slavery: The Cocoa pods on a Loss of Innocence”, http://foreignpolicyblogs. stop the practice have been Following concern over the com/2011/08/28 ineffective. In 2001 a volun- success of Fairtrade certifi- 7 ILO Global child labour developments: Measuring trends from 2004 to 2008 tary code of practice, called cation in ensuring slave-free 8 UNICEF, http://www.hrw.org/en/re- co-op farm in the ports/2008 the Harkin-Engel Proto- production Trade Aid is now 9 J.G. Silverman et al. Journal of the American Right: Some 40,000 people were detained in forced col, was adopted by large looking to work directly with Medical Association 298.5 (2007) labour centres in Vietnam in 2011 – photography by 10 http://www.childlabor-payson.org/ chocolate brands with the cocoa co-operatives and lo- Tulane%20Final%20Report.pdf Julian Abram Wainwright. Dominican Republic 11 http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/ stated aim of removing slave cal manufacturers.

learning issues / Trade Aid education series / 3 Recent estimates put the Slavery—the number of modern slaves at 27 million, about twice the estimated number of word conjures up Africans sold into slavery during the years of the trans-Atlantic slave trade.1 old etchings of Of these 15-20 million are in or from South Asia and 50 percent are children. In African slaves in fields, factories, restaurants and mines, homes, brothels and armed services, their shackles. labour is present in the supply chains of such common items as cotton, tea, cocoa, sugar, rice, Yet slavery is very carpets, clothing, gems, tin, gold, bricks, fireworks and tantalum mined in much alive. the Congo and sold for the manufacture of cell phones.

learning issues / Trade Aid education series / 3 A young boy harvests cocoa beans on Côte d’Ivoire / Photo from International Labor Rights Forum www.laborrights.org

Slavery is as old as human Bales says, dislocated and history. Since the emergence impoverished people “... are There are 27 of the first cities in a bumper crop of potential million slaves Mesopotamia in the fifth slaves”.3 century BC the booty of Largely out of sight, their in the world war has included enemies labour is found across the today. captured and forced to work globe: burning trees in as slaves. In 1444 Portuguese Brazil for charcoal, cutting traders brought the first sugar cane in the Dominican Half of them large cargo of slaves from Republic, building West Africa to Europe, so infrastructure in Burma, are children. launching the trans-Atlantic making toys in Chinese slave trade. It took well over laogai prison camps, 350 years before Western fighting wars in Sudan or countries began to respond working as prostitutes in to calls to abolish the slave Thailand, camel jockeys trade. In 1807 legislation on in the UAE or domestic both sides of the Atlantic servants in India. And the outlawed the importation reasons are manifold and of African slaves into the complex: gender, caste and US and the transportation ethnic discrimination; civil and importation of slaves unrest; lack of education; by Britain and British government corruption; colonies. Over 140 years low prosecution rates for later, in 1948, the United slaveholders; and dislocation Nations produced the from poor countries to Universal Declaration rich, rural regions to over- of Human Rights which populated cities. includes the provision that Globalisation also plays “No one shall be held in a role in maintaining the slavery or servitude; slavery demand for free (or cheap) and the slave trade shall labour. Since the mid-1980s be prohibited in all their the ability of sovereign forms.” governments to regulate But, as president of Free labour conditions has been the Slaves Kevin Bales says, eroded in order to ease the “Making something illegal free flow of capital. Lack doesn’t make it disappear, of regulation in the global it only disappears from commodities sector has 2 view.” Despite law changes pushed down prices and in individual countries forced small farmers in and a raft of international developing countries to commitments to combat compete with often heavily slavery, the practice persists subsidised farmers in in the wake of poverty developed nations, while and urban migration—as high debt levels continue learning issues / Trade Aid education series / 3 learning issues / Trade Aid education series / 3 to divert tax revenue from working around the globe as social services to debt prostitutes or bonded and According to repayment. forced labour as a result of the ILO, there As a result of all these forces trafficking (this estimate is slavery continues to exist, hampered by India’s refusal are 12.3 million either as chattel slavery, in to include the millions which people are captured, thought to be held in debt adults and 5 born or sold into slavery; bondage slavery). The same children who the more common bonded ILO report estimates the or debt labour, whereby a profits produced each year have been person is pledged against through the sale of humans trafficked an often unrepayable loan; to be US$31.7 billion—more contract labour, in which than that made in the around the slavery is hidden behind a illegal drug trade and soon globe for smokescreen of employment to surpass global profits contracts or agreements; from the arms trade. While the purpose cross-border trafficking—at least half of which is related of forced Every country across to sexual exploitation— the globe (is) categorized is the focus of ongoing prostitution, as a source, transit or international attention, and bonded destination for human internal trafficking, usually trafficking for labour, is harder to prove and forced and rarely prosecuted. labour or forced labour by which Few countries are immune. a person is made to work As US anti-slavery activist by a Government or official Cassandra Clifford says, group under threat of “every country across the state punishment. Each globe (is) categorized as a of these types of slavery is source, transit or destination 6 defined by a relationship for human trafficking.” An in which “one person is anti-trafficking forum in controlled by another Wellington in 2011 reported through violence, the threat incidences of forced labour, of violence, or psychological prostitution and “cultural coercion, has lost free will trafficking” (early marriage, and free movement, is dowries and customary exploited economically, adoption) in Pacific Island and is paid nothing beyond nations. Commenting subsistence.”4 on recent University of Auckland research on labour Many forms of modern abuse on foreign-chartered day slavery involve fishing vessels contracted trafficking. According to to New Zealand companies, A young woman makes decorations for sale the International Labour Salvation Army social justice through TARA Projects–TARA ensures adults Organization 12.3 million receive a fair wage so children can attend advocate and conference school. adults and children are learning issues / Trade Aid education series / 3 learning issues / Trade Aid education series / 3 organiser Chris Frazer wage and a better prospect importation of products said, “While the majority for their children. But the made by slave labour. The of us can take the moral costs are huge. Child slaves response was disappointing. high ground on sex trade suffer from lack of sleep, Slavery, claimed the trafficking, the trafficking in malnutrition, exposure Foreign Affairs, Defence labour comes right into our to toxic chemicals and and Trade Committee, is back yard.” underground gases, physical already prohibited under and psychological abuse, international agreements. lack of education and the But such agreements are Children in trauma of being torn away loathe to enact impediments from their families. Girls to global trade. Although chains forced into prostitution the General Agreement on Today over 300 million are at risk of sexually Tariffs and Trade allows for children aged 5 to 17 are transmitted diseases, HIV/ the banning of imported in employment.7 Of these AIDS, cervical cancer goods to “protect public 115 million work in the and dangerous abortion morals and human life “hazardous category”, a processes. A study of 300 and health” this ruling classification that includes Nepalese women and girls has never been applied to the “worst forms of child who had been trafficked into products made by slave labour”: slavery, debt India for sexual exploitation labour. Free trade pundits bondage, forced labour, found that 40 percent tested say enforcing labour recruitment for armed positive for HIV.9 standards is tantamount forces (an estimated to protectionism and 250,000 children work as contrary to the stated soldiers across the globe, The end of goal of the World Trade the majority in Africa8), Organization to promote drug trafficking and slavery and ensure free trade. They prostitution—according Attempts to reduce slavery pass responsibility on to to the ILO some 100,000 are hampered by endemic individual governments children are involved in poverty, reluctant or and the International prostitution. These appalling corrupt governments, and a Labour Organization but figures are the result of global commodities sector domestic laws are often not adult unemployment, dominated by a few large enforced and world trade poverty, gender bias, transnational bodies that agreements, such as that expensive (or unavailable) appear to have neither the being negotiated between education, dowry systems will nor, they would argue, India and New Zealand, and discrimination on the means to monitor their often ignore labour issues. the grounds of caste and lengthy supply chains. In While boycotts are regarded ethnicity. Impoverished 2007 Trade Aid presented a blunt instrument capable families struggling to feed to Parliament a petition of of hurting free farmers and their families are easy prey 17,000 signatures calling for workers, consumer pressure for traffickers promising legislation banning the is effective in putting an “advance” on a child’s pressure on companies or investment funds to identify A viable income is pivotal in the fight against slavery. Thai farmer Yaibua Lekkla receives a fair then stop slavery in the return for her organic rice from fair trade organisation Green Net. This in one of the few countries mine, field or factory. ranked “very high” as an origin, transit and destination country for trafficking and prostitution learning issues / Trade Aid education series / 3 learning issues / Trade Aid education series / 3 Consumer pressure The cost of chocolate is effective in putting pressure on companies or Drying cocoa beans for CONACADO in the Cocoa farmers harvesting cocoa beans Children at the Kuapo Kokoo cocoa-producing Dominican Republic for sale through the El Ceibo farmers’ co- co-operative in Ghana investment funds. operative in Bolivia

As a member of the World uses funds raised from the Our sweetest treat is tainted labour from the supply chain Learn more: Fair Trade Organization sale of craft and dried fruit by the widespread use by 2005. This target was The Dark Side of Chocolate, Trade Aid ensures that a fair to rescue children from of slave labour. A recent not achieved, nor was the film by U. Roberto Romano return is paid to producers servitude and provide an report commissioned by subsequent goal to certify www.cultureunplugged.com so adults, not their children, income for victim and family the US Government found half of all cocoa farms child Modern Slavery by Kevin can provide a liveable wage groups. In the Dominican that more than 1.8 million labour-free by 2008. “Over Bales et al (Oneworld, for their families. Its criteria Republic the CONACADO children in West Africa the last 10 years we have 2009). for trading partners include cocoa co-operative uses the were involved in growing seen very little implementa- the commitment not to fair trade social premium to cocoa.10 While the number tion of the actual commit- Not for Sale: The Return use bonded labour and a build classrooms and houses of children employed in ments,” Tulane University’s of the Global Slave responsible approach to and establish low-interest cocoa farming appears to Chris Bayer told CNN in Trade by David Batstone the involvement of children credit schemes for its 9000 be decreasing, researchers January 2012.11 (HarperCollins, 2009) in production (the ILO members. at Tulane University in the Trade Aid drinking choco- Free the Slaves, defines “permissible light No label, policy or law US have calculated that, late and baking cocoa use www.freetheslaves.net work” as non-hazardous can guarantee a slave-free during a 12-month period cocoa from small-scale work by 12-14 year olds for product. But in managing in 2007 and 2008, 819,921 organic farms in the less than 14 hours a week). children were working on Dominican Republic. Its and auditing the supply 1 This figure is given by Free the Slaves Numerous surveys of Trade chain and increasing cocoa farms in Côte d’Ivoire chocolate is manufactured president Kevin Bales and is used by global institutions Aid’s trading partners (source of about 35 percent in Switzerland and Belgium 2 Kevin Bales, Modern Slavery, Oneworld Cleaned juice cartons used to make crafts for consumer awareness of show children’s education of the world’s cocoa produc- using cocoa from Fairtrade- Publications, 2009, 18 Preda Fair Trade in the Philippines the working conditions 3 Bales, 55 to be the highest priority tion) and 997,357 were do- certified co-operatives in 4 Bales, 31 used to make or grow 5 ILO, 2005 Global Report on Forced Labor for money earned. One of the items they buy, Trade ing so in Ghana. Attempts to a number of countries. 6 Cassandra Clifford, “Modern Slavery: The stop the practice have been Following concern over the Loss of Innocence”, http://foreignpolicyblogs. Trade Aid’s oldest trading Aid, as with other WFTO com/2011/08/28 partners, TARA Projects in ineffective. In 2001 a volun- success of Fairtrade certifi- 7 ILO Global child labour developments: members, is providing an Measuring trends from 2004 to 2008 India, actively campaigns alternative system of trade tary code of practice, called cation in ensuring slave-free 8 UNICEF, http://www.hrw.org/en/re- the Harkin-Engel Proto- production Trade Aid is now ports/2008 against slave labour and that uses transparency and 9 J.G. Silverman et al. Journal of the American has been a leading advocate col, was adopted by large looking to work directly with Medical Association 298.5 (2007) accountability to support 10 http://www.childlabor-payson.org/ for the elimination of child growing demands for a chocolate brands with the cocoa co-operatives and lo- Tulane%20Final%20Report.pdf 11 http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/ labour in India. In the slave-free world. stated aim of removing slave cal manufacturers. Philippines Preda Fair Trade

learning issues / Trade Aid education series / 3 learning issues / Trade Aid education series / 3 PO Box 35-049, Christchurch. Ph. 64 3 385 3535 www.tradeaid.org.nz Trade Aid Education Series, edited by Sally Blundell. Printed by Federal Print on Cocoa beans fermenting in the 100% post-consumer recycled Dominican Republic (photo courtesy CONACADO) paper using vegetable inks. learning issues / Trade Aid education series / 3