Sourcing Cocoa Beans from Non-Slavery Sources
Around 70% of the cocoa used in the mainstream chocolate industry is grown in the West African nations of Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana, where an estimated 2.1 million children work as labourers harvesting it. On the plantations, children as young as ten are forced to harvest cocoa pods with machetes and carry heavy bags many times their own weight, all without pay. If they try to escape, they are beaten by the farmers.
At Cacao, we have always avoided cocoa grown in West Africa, instead sourcing from countries with are no reports of child slavery in their cocoa industries, like the Philippines. To be sure of this, we consult the Sweat and Toil app developed by the United States Department of Labor, which lists exactly which products from which countries use slavery in their production.
Helping the Homeless
Closer to home, we also work to ensure that our business benefits the vulnerable here in Hong Kong.
To that end, every year we offer an Annual Subscription package where buyers can have Cacao products delivered to their homes every month for a year. As part of this package, 40% of the proceeds go towards supporting the work of the Missionaries of Charity, who help to feed and shelter homeless people. We also volunteer sometimes at their Home of Love shelter in Sham Shui Po, where we help to prepare meals for the homeless people there.
What we hope to improve on
Currently we have yet to pay due diligence to our cocoa suppliers in the Philippines by visiting them in person to ensure their practices do not infringe upon the rights of their workers. However, we do intend to do so eventually and have already made one such visit to our Arenga palm sugar suppliers in Indonesia, who we found employ workers over the legal age and ensure fair pay for them.