Coffee, tea and chocolate for child protection

We all like to make a difference, right? Sometimes making a difference is too hard: too time consuming, too expensive or too boring (never!).  At Imaginif we like and value difference. We encourage difference in our clients and we try to practice what we preach too.

Chocolate and coffee are two necessities on our shopping list. We make a difference by only buying Fair Trade and ethically grown coffee, tea and chocolate. While this does not stop women and children being used as slave labour by the globals (who determine chocolate prices and distribution), or being paid abysmal wages, it sends a message to the coffee and cocoa kings to say that we are not in favour of the way their workers, many of whom are children, are treated: Exploitative Child Labour in Cocoa-Producing West African Nations

Most regrettably, these children work in the most inhospitable of conditions. As young as they are, they are dressed in mere rags, handed machetes and compelled to work under rain or sun often on empty stomach. Education and the need for it is not an option because one has to have money to pay for school. For these children, their childhood is sacrificed for food on the table, a rag to cover the ailing body and a roof over their head. These children toil and labour under intense heat and inhospitable climate, producing a material that continues to enrich companies such as Cadbury, Schweppes, Mars and Nestle to the detriment of their future. These children toil under deplorable conditions to produce a material used to produce chocolate that is often enjoyed by other children in western nations likely in an air-conditioned and luxurious environment. Because injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere, global effort is needed more than ever to address the long hours, physical and sexual assault, deprivation of liberty, lack of education and basic healthcare and other forms of exploitation that these children endure.

I recently had the opportunity to make a brewed coffee for a person I had just met – a new psychologist. She looked at the packet of coffee and said she had never seen that brand before. Without even realising the teachable moment before me, I casually remarked that I liked to buy the organic fair trade coffee from Timor because my son in law is from East Timor and it is one simple thing I can do to support the people left in his country.

This one comment sparked a long discussion on fair trade (pay the workers proper wages and have proper working conditions), child labour exploitation and the ethics of ethical people who do nothing to stop it: in fact, without realising what we are doing, we encourage exploitative practices because we continue to purchase products made by child slave labour. As I talked, I took chocolate from the fridge and began to break it onto a plate. Psychologist took the packet from me and looked at it.

“I’ve never seen this type of chocolate before,” she said astonished. “It says it’s Fair Trade too. I like that you live what you preach and help kids that you’ll never meet.”

Buying ethical and Fair Trade coffee, tea and chocolate is but my small contribution to a global issue that I otherwise am powerless to impact upon. Encouraging others to also adapt the ethical process of three common household food stuffs is another thing I can do. I buy from my local supermarket, and the more I enquire at coffee shops about my choice of fair trade coffee, the faster the products will be available everywhere. With a greater need in developed countries, the more workers, including children, in third world countries can live sustainable and equitable lives.

Next time your reach for coffee, tea or chocolate, please consider buying the
Fair Trade equivalent.

I buy Scarborough Fair Teas from Bi Low and Woolworths. Scarborough Fair is a leader in bringing high quality, fairly priced Fairtrade products to consumers.

I buy Green and Blacks organic and Fair Trade chocolate from Bi Low and Woolworths (in the health food section generally) and a greater variety of flavors and goodies from my local organic shop (much more expensive than the grocery store though).

Oxfam always has a good selection of Fair Trade products and I buy from them when I am in Brisbane.

I also buy locally made products (beautiful teas and coffees in Far North Queensland) but my great passion is for ending the exploitation of children.

Coffee, tea and chocolate is a child protection matter. Next time you fill your mouth with sweetness, consider the bitterness slapped upon the children who laboured for your pleasure.