The Dark Side of Chocolate
2010 Danish film
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Key Takeaways
- The Dark Side of Chocolate is a 2010 documentary film about the exploitation and slavetrading of African children to harvest chocolate still occurring nearly ten years after the cocoa industry pledged to end it.
- Chocolate producers around the world have been pressured to “verify that their chocolate is not the product of child labor or slavery.
- In 2001, the Chocolate Manufacturers Association and its members signed a document that prohibited child trafficking and labor in the cocoa industry after 2008.
- In 2009, Mars and Cadbury joined the Rainforest Alliance to fight against child labor.
- As of 2019, there are still 1.
The Dark Side of Chocolate is a 2010 documentary film about the exploitation and slavetrading of African children to harvest chocolate still occurring nearly ten years after the cocoa industry pledged to end it.
Background
Cocoa plantations in Ghana and the Ivory Coast provide 80% of the world's chocolate, according to CorpWatch. Chocolate producers around the world have been pressured to “verify that their chocolate is not the product of child labor or slavery.”
In 2000, BBC aired Slavery: A Global Investigation which brought the issue of child labor in the cocoa industry to light.
In 2001, the Chocolate Manufacturers Association and its members signed a document that prohibited child trafficking and labor in the cocoa industry after 2008. Despite this effort, numerous children are still forced to work on cocoa plantations in Africa.
In 2009, Mars and Cadbury joined the Rainforest Alliance to fight against child labor. By 2020, these major chocolate manufacturers hoped to completely eradicate child labor on any plantations from which they purchase their cocoa. As of 2019, there are still 1.56 million child laborers in Ghana and the Ivory Coast.
Production
The Dark Side of Chocolate was directed by Danish journalist, lawyer and writer Miki Mistrati who investigated the use of child labor and trafficked children in chocolate production. It was filmed by U. Roberto Romano and produced by Helle Faber.
The filming started in Germany, where Mistrati asked vendors where their chocolate comes from. They then flew to Mali, where many of the children are from. Next, they explored the Ivory Coast, Ghana and Nigeria where the cocoa plantations are located. The film ends in Switzerland where both the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Nestle headquarters are located.
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