#1 – The Argument for Ethical Consumption
Recession-hit, saddled with student debt and no hope in hell of a job, the last thing on the mind of a young graduate such as myself might be spending a bit extra to help an unknown, unseen cocoa farmer… But does it actually cost more? If you’ve come across STOP THE TRAFFIK before you … Read more
Choose certified chocolate & campaign for change this Fairtrade Fortnight
Flicking through the Metro this week, I‘ve noticed sprawling two page adverts for Nestle’s two-finger Kit Kat, proudly announcing it’s new status as Fairtrade certified. This is a great step for our campaign, as another iconic chocolate bar becomes certified, and also tied in neatly with the launch of Fairtrade Fortnight on Monday. This year, … Read more
Christmas Message from Ruth Dearnley, STOP THE TRAFFIK CEO
Christmas Message from Ruth Dearnley, STOP THE TRAFFIK CEO Dear friends A GIFT BOX ISN’T JUST FOR CHRISTMAS There’s so much to tell you and thank you for what you have helped us achieve through your words, actions and donations. GIFT box The past year has been full of many surprises for STOP THE TRAFFIK. … Read more
Dr Kraft and Mr Mondelēz?
ATTENTION SHOPPERS… The name Kraft that you know so well from being stamped on all kinds of popular foodstuffs, from Dairylea cheese to Dairy Milk chocolate, has decided to do some shape shifting. The artist formerly known as Kraft, who seem reluctant to clean up their trafficking-friendly cocoa supply chains in the Ivory Coast, have … Read more
Nestlé, Wish you were here!
Where are you headed on holiday over the next few months? If you are headed to Australia you’re in chocolaty luck because you’ll be able to find traffik-free 4 finger Kit Kat bars and by the end of 2011, Nestlé has committed to making their entire Australian Kit Kat range traffik-free and UTZ certified! Read more… Not … Read more
Traffik-free chocolate where you live
Today is World Day Against Child Labour, sponsored by the International Labour Organization. For a couple of years now activists around the world have been campaigning hard to get the chocolate companies to get on board with using cocoa in their products that isn’t grown and picked using trafficked child labour. From sending postcards, letters, … Read more
Confused by the price of chocolate
Today dear readers, I am a little confused. For the last few months, we have been following news coming form the Ivory Coast very closely and something occurred to me over the weekend. When countries supplying the world with oil are a touch turbulent (e.g. Iraq / Libya ….) oil prices soar. Over a … Read more
Bloody cocoa in Cote d’Ivoire
People have been asking me what our take is on what’s going on in Cote d’Ivoire at the moment. Is the unrest there affecting the trafficking of kids onto the plantations? What is our response? I want to take some time explaining it, but in a way that is short and simple to understand … Read more
Chocolatey Friday treat!
In response to our hunt for an Easter campaign slogan, one of our activist sent us a great story she wrote and it was just to good to keep to ourselves! It was After Eight on CaramacDonald’s Farm and The Little Red Hen was making Easter Eggs, but she was getting tired of doing all the work. She called a … Read more
The Nestlé slogan hunt is on!
Our Valentine’s Day campaign asking Nestle to ‘Have a Heart’ was a great success thanks to your help! Now, Mr. Cocoa Bean is hunting for a short campaign slogan to demand Nestlé hops on board this Easter to give us traffik-free chocolate! The winning slogan will be revealed on Mr. Cocoa Bean’s placard when we launch our Nestlé Easter Campaign in a couple of … Read more
mmmmMars bars in Australia!
Last week (Monday 28th February 2011) MARS in Australia announced their lovely MARS bars in Australia will carry the Rainforest Alliance logo as of June 2011. This followed a campaign where STOP THE TRAFFIK Australia sent 30,000 postcards to supporters who then urged MARS to roll out a product that uses cocoa certified as ‘traffik … Read more
Red light freedom run – photo montage
Check out this little photo montage of the boys. Days 1-3 of red light run. Kings Cross – Amsterdam – Hook of Holland – Harwich – Colchester. They’ve just completed day 4 and arrived in Chelmsford. 2 more days to go. Txt ‘freedom’+ur name to 70700 to giv £5. Or go to http://ow.ly/3kAIA. Dig deep. … Read more
Noel Nestlé
Are you counting down to Christmas yet? You’re not the only one counting down… http://stopthetraffik-news.org/D5L-BISF-931KM19A61/cr.aspx
It’s time to raise the bar Nestlé!
Dearest loveliest blog readers! I write with exciting news…… well exciting for us, annoying for Nestlé As I am sure you’re aware, over the last few years we have been working together to pressurize the chocolate industry into making ethical and traffik free choices. The industry has responded and we now have more traffik free … Read more
Bitter Sweet update on Chocolate…
Hey Everyone! Here’s an update on what’s currently happening in Europe around the chocolate industry, thanks to Antoinie, STOP THE TRAFFIK Netherlands: Last week Thursday, Tulane University published their latest report on trafficking and the worst forms of child labour in the cocoa industry of West Africa. The findings were shocking, to say the least. … Read more
Exploitation of labor rights in Chocolate production is ongoing
The worst forms of child labor, forced labor and trafficking of children have not been eradicated yet, on the contrary, a newly released study gives real evidence about the widespread practices and the ineffectiveness of the industry’s efforts. Nine years ago, a voluntary agreement called the Harkin-Engel Protocol was signed by the cocoa and chocolate … Read more
Reverse Trick or Treating
Halloween 2010 is just around the corner, are that means you can participate in the Fourth Annual Reverse Trick-or-Treating! This year, make an even bigger difference for cocoa growing communities. Forced labor in the cocoa industry will not end unless EACH ONE OF US takes action! Reverse Trick-or-Treating is an initiative launched by Global Exchange. … Read more
Deadly weapon-humble bar
Today I’d like to summarise some of a great speech by Thomas Horton of Oasis Academy Immingham. I found it inspirational and hope you do to. Here goes: “Chemical. Nuclear. Biological. These are all weapons that we hear about but today I want to talk to you about one of the world’s deadliest weapons…that many people … Read more
Cocoa Journalists in the Ivory Coast locked up
The latest news coming out of the Ivory Coast suggests its not just victims trafficked into chocolate production whose freedom is at stake. Even the reporters trying to highlight things in the cocoa industry those in power would rather keep hidden, are having their freedom taken away. Since journalists are particularly important in providing public … Read more
PRICE OF FREEDOM- Giving a Helping hand to Traffickers?
Looking through some old postcards, I came across some I had bought at the Nelson Mandela Touch Gallery when I visited Sydney, Australia. There’s someone who has truly touched the world! You’re probably wandering what this could possibly have to do with human trafficking? You may have a point! But I want to share this … Read more
RUNNING…OUT OF STYLE, FOR FREEDOM!
Hi everyone! We’ve just gone LIVE with our BRAND NEW website FREEDOM TICKET FOR LIFE! Here we are in the office looking a bit silly but in high spirits for the launch! The project focuses on providing an education to girls most vulnerable to trafficking. We believe that the longer a girl is in education, the less … Read more
7. What if…?
…a teacher realised the boy in her class had been trafficked into the country for benefit fraud? …a landlord realised their property was being used as a cannabis farm, and the Vietnamese teenager living there had been trafficked and would be arrested by the police upon discovery? …a friend realised the ‘Nigerian nanny’ of her close friend was … Read more
5. What if…?
…the local newsagent owner knew that the cocoa in the chocolate bars he sells came from the labour of trafficked African boys, sold into slavery, whipped and never allowed to escape?
Chocolate-The Bitter Truth, Our Response
STOP THE TRAFFIK celebrates the fact that journalists and filmmakers around the world are investigating the crime of trafficking of children onto cocoa plantations in West Africa. All cocoa needs to be independently verified as free from trafficked labour and the worst forms of child labour. Organisations such as Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance offer such … Read more
Happy Christmas Nestle ….. ho ho ho, ha!
This Christmas, people around the world will be feasting on scrumptious chocolate made up of luxurious ingredients like exploitation, abuse and violence. Doesn’t seem right, does it? Together we have started to change the chocolate loving world….. Cadbury have started giving us traffik free Dairy Milk, Mars have made promises, Swiss Noir and Verkade are on … Read more
HORAY! KRAFT FOODS COMMITS TO RAINFOREST ALLIANCE RANGES!
HOORAY! KRAFT FOODS COMMITS TO RAINFOREST ALLIANCE RANGES! Yes – that’s right, Kraft have committed to traffik free ranges by 2012! Kraft plan to increase current purchases of cocoa beans from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms ten-fold – that means 30,000 tons of sustainable cocoa beans – in order for its entire Cote D’or and Marabou … Read more
The Original Dipper Winner…
STOP THE TRAFFIK would like to thank all those who dipped peculiar things in chocolate in the name of freedom! We would especially like to thank you all for the pictures which were wonderful – if not a bit disgusting at times! Despite the wacky combinations that included cold hot dogs, roasted garlic and an … Read more
