Child welfare advocates have filed a federal lawsuit asking a judge to force the Biden administration to block imports of cocoa harvested by children in West Africa that ends up in America’s most popular chocolate desserts and candies
In this April, 2020 image provided by International Rights Advocates, children from Burkina Faso are seen resting while working on a cocoa plantation in Ivory Coast in Daloa. Child welfare advocates are suing the Biden administration for failing to block imports of cocoa picked by children in West Africa bound for America’s most popular chocolate bars.
The major chocolate companies pledged to end their reliance on child labor to harvest their cocoa by 2005. Now they say they will eliminate the worst forms of child labor in their supply chains by 2025. Cocoa cultivation by children in Cote d’Ivoire, also known as the Ivory Coast, as well as neighboring Ghana, is not a new phenomenon. Human rights leaders, academics, news organizations and even federal agencies have spent the last two decades exposing the plight of children working on cocoa plantations in the West African nations, which produce about 70% of the world's cocoa supply.
The State Department in a recent report said that agriculture companies in the Ivory Coast rely on child labor to produce a range of products, including cocoa. The department said this year that human traffickers “exploit Ivoirian boys and boys from West African countries, especially Burkina Faso, in forced labor in agriculture, especially cocoa production."
“These companies kept saying, ‘We can’t trace it back.’ That’s BS," said former Sen. Tom Harkin, who led a push for legislation to reform the industry, but ended up agreeing to a protocol that allows corporations to regulate themselves. “They just won’t do it because it will cost them money.”“It’s not just the chocolate you eat, it’s the chocolate syrup you put on your ice cream, the cocoa you drink, the chocolate chip cookies you bake," he said.
Ivory Coast officials have said they are taking steps to eradicate child labor but blocking imports of the nation's cocoa would devastate the nation's economy.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Hunter Biden case assured to hang over Joe Biden's 2024 campaign with special counselFor President Joe Biden, the legal troubles of his son appeared to be going away last month when Hunter Biden's attorneys reached terms with prosecutors to resolve tax evasion and gun charges. Then the deal fell apart.
Read more »
Biden campaign canceled MSNBC appearance for fear of Hunter Biden questions: ReportThe Biden presidential campaign canceled an interview on MSNBC to avoid questions about Hunter Biden and his special counsel investigation, according to a report.
Read more »
Abortion Advocates in Dallas Decry Texas' Ban 2 Years Later: 'Devastating Blow'SB 8 took effect in Texas in 2021, virtually outlawing abortion and inspiring similar bans nationwide. Advocates say the state wasn't ready for the results.
Read more »
Montana Court Rules In Favor Of Young Climate AdvocatesA court in Montana has ruled the state constitution means exactly what it says. Naturally, opponents will appeal, claiming they know better.
Read more »
Chicago professor dismisses meritocracy as myth, advocates for CRT: 'False reality'A University of Illinois-Chicago assistant professor believes critical race theory [CRT] can be integrated into chemistry lessons. Terrel R. Mo...
Read more »
Colorado’s housing market is so strained it’s endangering domestic violence victims, advocates sayThe need for affordable housing is so great in Colorado, and there’s such a scarcity of options, that domestic violence survivors, single parents and other people caught in between permanent …
Read more »