Let's Go Reverse Trick-or-Treating

by Tim Newman · 2010-10-12 06:00:00 UTC
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Halloween was my favorite holiday growing up. I loved planning out costumes months in advance. But I must admit that the best part was obviously the endless amounts of candy. Now that I am older, I've learned more about some of the scarier elements of the confectionery industry. For those of us working to end human trafficking, child labor and forced labor, Halloween treats are a cause for concern, but there are fun ways to support positive changes in the industry while still enjoying a great holiday.

In the last month, there have been several Change.org posts about egregious labor rights abuses in the cocoa industry. Just last week, an independent analysis confirmed that nine years after chocolate companies committed to ending abusive child labor in their supply chains, the exploitation continues on West African cocoa farms. A new report about Hershey also exposed how this iconic chocolate company lags behind competitors in protecting labor rights in its cocoa sourcing. As one of the biggest chocolate buying holidays, Halloween is a good time to push the industry to do more to stop abuse in the production of cocoa.

One way to make a difference is by participating in a national campaign called Reverse Trick-or-Treating. This fun action is sponsored by a broad range of concerned organizations and chocolate companies across the country. Every year, thousands of young people hand out information about the cocoa industry and Fair Trade chocolate to the houses where they go trick-or-treating. You can get a kit with delicious Fair Trade chocolate for FREE plus the price of shipping at www.ReverseTrickOrTreating.org, but you have the act quickly. The deadline for ordering a kit has been extended to October 13 or until supplies run out. If you don't get a kit, you can still participate by handing out flyers like this when trick-or-treaters stop by your house.

Halloween is also a great time to take action because it closes out Fair Trade Month. Change.org blogger Amanda Kloer has great ideas about how to celebrate Fair Trade Month with chocolate here. You can also take action by signing this Change.org petition calling on Hershey to support Fair Trade.

Finally, check out this great video to learn more about Reverse Trick-or-Treating!

Photo credit: SykoSam

Tim Newman is a campaigns assistant at the International Labor Rights Forum. He also works on the Stop Firestone campaign.

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