20% increase in fair-trade chocolate worldwide

STOP PRESS …. CHOCOLATE CAMPAIGN SUCCESS

This month, one member of the Chocolate Industry took a landmark decision that will result in a 20% increase in fair-trade – Traffik Free – chocolate worldwide.

Royal Verkade, a Dutch household name and subsidiary of United Biscuits, announced that they will be using 100% Fair Trade cocoa and sugar in their products from the autumn onwards. This is the first A-list chocolate producer worldwide to make the transition to Fair Trade production on a large scale and STOP THE TRAFFIK congratulates Royal Verkade for taking this decision.

Though many players were involved, a major turning point occurred during STOP THE TRAFFIK Netherlands and local NGO Fairfood’s ‘naming and shaming’ campaign, linking Verkade with the worst forms of child labour in Ivory Coast. “Within a day we had a phone call from Fair Trade”, states Antonie Fountain of STOP THE TRAFFIK Holland, “saying that Verkade had just called them to talk about the possibility of Fair Trade sourcing for their cocoa”.

THIS IS BIG NEWS but It is critical we keep pressure up on this issue.  We are making a difference.  We will not stop until the trafficking has been STOPPED.

www.stopthetraffik.org/chocolatecampaign

Bitter sweet news

 

STOP THE TRAFFIK Netherlands & Fairfood held a demonstration against the worst forms of child labour in the cocoa-industry outside the Dutch parliament. Two parliamentarians joined the demonstration, which marked the end of a competition inviting major producers of chocolate to commit to significant improvement. None of the companies approached were willing to make significant changes and therefore there was no winner to the competition.

Many people in your local community still don’t know that children are trafficked to work on cocoa plantations in the Ivory Coast where nearly half the worlds chocolate is produced.

Even more people don’t know that the chocolate industry promised in 2001 to end the trafficking of children onto cocoa farms by July 1^st 2008.  Next week this deadline passes, yet still children are trafficked to work on these farms.

We can use our local papers, radio, community newsletters, our blogs to let people know the shocking reality behind the chocolate we eat.

For the local press and media to listen we need to do something that draws attention to the story.

Click here and find out how

Act together for those who can’t

Technorati Tags: chocolate,child trafficking,ivory coast,stop the traffik netherlands,campaign,1st July

Tell a million

Technorati Tags: Chocolate,child trafficking,west africa,Cote d’Ivoire

URGENT ACTION NEEDED TO STOP THE TRAFFIK

The deadline has arrived for the chocolate industry.

JULY 1st 2008

The chocolate industry promised in 2001 to end the trafficking of children onto cocoa farms by July 1^st 2008. They claim they have done this but all they have done is gather information about exploitation of children from half the cocoa areas involved.

 

What they haven’t done is end it.

The trafficking hasn’t been stopped.

The exploitation of children is still happening.

What are we going to do about it?

 

STOP THE TRAFFIK collected over one and half million declarations from around the world and took them to the UNITED NATIONS. We know we can do something. That is what STOP THE TRAFFIK is all about.

Together we now need to “tell a million”.

Many people in your local community still don’t know what is going on. How can we tell them that the deadline has arrived and children are still suffering.

We can use our local papers, radio and all the community newsletters, our blogs and facebook to tell a million.

For the local press and media to listen we need to do something that draws attention to the story.

Here’s an idea:

• Grab a group of friends (as many as you can)
• Dress up - draw attention to yourselves.
• Stand outside the local shops and go and buy fair-trade chocolate
• Come out and give it all away telling people why and to copy what you have done.
• Tell them to buy as much fair-trade chocolate as they can and give it away.
• Invite the local press to the event and send them the press release we have provided and tell them what you are going to be doing.

Keep it simple so as many people can join in.

This can be done on July 1^st, or in that week or repeat this so more and more people know what is going on.

The only way to STOP THE TRAFFIK is to tell people what is happening so that they choose to do something about it.

Act together for those who can’t.

Stumpy on YouTube

Check out these You Tube viral videos from STTOMSTV.    I especially like this one, Stumpy the Stop the Traffik vehicle.