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Unwrapping the truth about poverty within thechocolate industry, Ben Greensmith, the UK andIreland Country Manager for Tony’s Chocolonely,breaks down the complex issue at the Bread & Jam2.0 Virtual festival.Food for thought…According to Tony’s Chocolonely annual FAIR Report:In Ghana and Ivory Coast, over two million childrenwork on the land under illegal conditions becausetheir parents are not able to earn enough from theircocoa harvest.In Ivory Coast, the average cocoa farmer earns anaverage of $0.78 per day. Nowhere near enough to liveoff, let alone support a family – not even in West Africa.Worse still, a study conducted in 2018 Global SlaveryIndex confirms that at least 30,000 people are victimsof modern slavery in the cocoa industry in Ghana andIvory Coast.A little bit of historyIn 2003, Dutch journalist and presenter of TV program‘Keuringsdienst van Waarde (KVW),’ Teun van deKeuken, read a book about how child labour andmodern slavery is still very much a part of the cocoatrade. He used his platform on KVW to publicise thedark secrets by eating a number of chocolate barsfrom leading manufacturers and declaring himself achocolate criminal, turning himself over to the Dutchauthorities. However, the public prosecutor couldn’tidentify the direct link between him eating the bar tothe children who were forced into labour.Whilst waiting for the judge’s decision, Tuen decided tolaunch his own 100% slave-free product in an attemptto prove to chocolate manufacturers that it is possible.Tony’s therefore launched as a PR stunt, Teun wantedto show there was a different way to produce chocolate,with no compromise in the value chain, he never setout to create a global chocolate brand. However, Tony’spicked up momentum, becoming Holland’s number onechocolate company. But it’s not stopping there… Tony’sChocolonely is the instigator and propeller behindthe movement to eradicate child labour and slaveryassociated with cocoa.Create awarenessTony’s wants to create awareness for the unequalshare of the cocoa industry through leading byexample. Ben epitomises this in a quote taken fromfounder of The Body Shop, Anita Roddick, “If youthink you’re too small to have an impact, try going tobed with a mosquito in the room… We want to be themosquito in the room.”They have a strict no-paid media policy, workingwith a pull rather than a push marketing model. Bendescribes how “it’s a complicated message, we preferto have one-on-one conversations. The chocolate is ameans to achieve the goal to inspire change.”If you’ve ever picked up a Tony’s Chocolonely baryou’d have noticed how irregular the pieces are,going against the generic ‘excel spreadsheet’ styledivide. This is not by accident or down to a machinerymalfunction. The shapes represent the inequality ofchocolate companies, the bar (like the industry) isunequally divided. Ben says that “they tell the storyin its purest form of the unequal nature of the cocoaindustry. West Africa is actually hidden in the design,a little nod to the farmers.”Create a movementBen describes how Tony’s is focusing on theconsumers who have the buying power, as if theyknow their favourite brands are endorsing slavery,they can help force the change. It is then down to thegovernment to listen, and force through legislation.The future of the cocoa farmers is dictated by usthe consumer, and the leading global chocolatemanufacturing giants. United, we can stop childslavery on cocoa farms and the wage discrepancieswhich leave families of eight surviving on 0.7 USdollars a week.Tony’s have also made their values accessible toeveryone by publicising its open chain resourcingprinciples; companies can educate themselves,enabling those willing, to break down their own deepsetirresponsible processes.The principlesTony’s wants to: ensure that the farmers andcooperatives get at least five years sale at a higherprice. The cocoa farmers get paid a price that enablesthem to earn a living income. Trade is direct and onequal footing with cocoa farmers and cooperatives. Itwants to professionalise farms by working together.And to improve productivity with less dependency oncocoa by investing in knowledge and skills.Tony’s really is crazy about chocolate, it has investedin the product for it to be the best it can be whilstlimiting its impact everywhere, without compromise.It has created unique and intriguing flavours topique the interest of the consumer to ensure itgets into people’s shopping baskets. Tony’s is alsovery serious about people as its truest aim is toeradicate enslavement which is so deeply rooted inthe sourcing of cocoa for chocolate production in thewestern world. It’s not your typical company, Tony’sexists to end slavery in the chocolate industry; animpact company that makes chocolate, and not theother way around.tonyschocolonely.com59