How to Fight Child Slavery in a Few Minutes on Facebook
by Amanda Kloer ·
Ever wish you could have an impact on the rampant child slavery, exploitation, and abuse in the cocoa industry? Well this week, if you have five minutes and a Facebook page, you can. That's because Hershey, the only major candy company to refuse to buy certified cocoa made without child exploitation, has a board meeting this week. And ethical chocolate advocates are using Facebook to ask the company to make a commitment to certified cocoa at that meeting.This Thursday, April 28, Hershey executives will come together for a board meeting. The meeting provides Hershey leadership the opportunity to discuss a number of issues, and anti-trafficking and other advocates hope one of those issues will be Fair Trade chocolate. Despite well-documented and widespread exploitation, abuse, child labor, and even child slavery in the cocoa industry, Hershey remains the only major chocolate company to make zero commitment to buying cocoa certified as free from those abuses. And as the company continues to fall farther and farther behind their competitors, Hershey customers are demanding the company raise the bar on chocolate ... or lose their business forever.
Here's how you can help get a discussion of Fair Trade cocoa on the menu at Hershey's upcoming board meeting.
1.) Leave a message on Hershey's Facebook wall, like: Hershey needs to take fighting child slavery and exploitation in the cocoa industry seriously. Please discuss buying certified cocoa at your upcoming board meeting.
2.) Tweet a message about Hershey, like: Tell #Hershey to vote to stop selling #childlabor chocolate at their board meeting this Thursday http://chn.ge/fiXI0x
3.) Call Hershey's customer comments line at 1-800-468-1714 and ask them to offer a Fair Trade version of your favorite product.
You can also join the movement calling on Hershey to make a commitment to buy certified cocoa bysigning this petition and sharing it with your chocolate-loving friends. Let's make sure Hershey execs know their customer base wants a discussion of Fair Trade chocolate on their table at the upcoming board meeting.
Photo credit: mikebarry
Amanda Kloer is a Change.org Editor and has been a full-time abolitionist in several capacities for seven years. Follow her on Twitter @endhumantraffic
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