An Inspiring Journalist

Today on KQED there was an interview with Mexican human rights ativist and journalist Lydia Cacho Ribeiro that was fascinating. In part, it brought to the forefront the issue of child labor and worse - forced child and slave labor. She has been active in exposing child pornography rings in Mexico and actually has brought a case to the Mexican supreme court: what is fascinating and shocking is that she is the first woman to do so.
Why this belongs on the "Don't Buy it!" site, is in regards to child labor on chocolate plantations.

Global Exchange reports that hundreds of thousands of child laborers that pick the cacao plants work in child slavery camps. Especially in the Ivory Coast, source of 43% of the worlds cocoa.

"Subsequent research by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture revealed some 284,000 children between the ages of 9 and 12 working in hazardous conditions on West African cocoa farms. Of these children, it was reported that some 12,000 child cocoa workers that had participated in the study were likely to have arrived in their situation as a result of child trafficking."

All the more reason to purchase chocolate with Fair Trade Labeling. The interviewers on KQED mentioned that boycotting is not always the most effective way to help end child trafficking and horrible labor conditions. The best way is to seek out and purchase products that have the Fair Trade sticker.