Back on Valentine's Day, The International Labor Rights Forum published a report about chocolate companies as part of their cocoa campaign for better labour standards. "The International Labor Rights Forum is committed to combating the scourge of forced child labor in the cocoa industry through public education and corporate campaigns."

The report ranks chocolate company's labour standards on a sweetness scale. Note: the companies considered are largely American.

• Bitter: Hershey, M&M / Mars, Nestle
• Semi-Sweet: Godiva, Starbucks, Ghiradelli/Lindt, Dagoba (now a Hershey subsidiary),  Endangered Species Chocolate (no longer fair trade certified)
• Sweetest: Sweet Earth Chocolates, Equal Exchange, Divine Chocolate

Chocolate Company Scorecard 2009: The Sweet and the Bitter

International Labor Rights Forum » View Report PDF

Don't forget to click here to send an e-mail to the bitter companies!

The major US chocolate companies signed an agreement in 2001 (called the Harkin-Engel Protocol) committing to ensuring that they were not purchasing cocoa beans harvested by the worst forms of child labor, but in 2009, children continue to work in West African cocoa farms. Many of the major chocolate companies have joined together in industry associations to respond to the criticism and these bitter companies have all been leaders in the failed industry efforts to improve labor conditions in their supply chains. For a full analysis of the failures of chocolate companies to implement of the Harkin-Engel Protocol, please visit: http://www.laborrights.org/stop-child-labor/cocoa-campaign/resources/1552 . You can send e-mails to Hershey, M&M/Mars and Nestlé here:
http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/chocolate .

Take Action! Enjoy Canadian based fair trade chocolate.

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