Take Action in Your Supermarket to Stop Hershey Profiting From Child Labor

by Tim Newman · 2011-07-14 10:20:00 UTC
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Next time you are at your local supermarket it's time to call for a clean up in the candy aisle. It has been almost a decade since major chocolate companies like Hershey committed to ending child labor, forced labor and trafficking in their cocoa supply chains, and yet these abuses continue on West African cocoa farms today. This summer, consumers across the country are standing up and informing their fellow shoppers about Hershey's tainted chocolate. Here's how you can join them.

As part of the Raise the Bar Hershey campaign's summer action, "We Want More from our S'mores," concerned consumers across the country are placing "consumer alert" flyers in s'mores displays featuring Hershey chocolate. S'mores are Hershey's major public relations push during the summer and many supermarkets have displays that feature Hershey chocolate along with graham crackers and marshmallows. While s'mores are supposed to represent fun and freedom, when our summer treats are tainted by abusive working conditions, they become much more bitter. The new supermarket action is the newest way for consumers to ask Hershey to "raise the bar" for responsible cocoa sourcing by shifting to Fair Trade Certified cocoa.

The alerts that activists are using for this campaign include information about Hershey's connection to labor rights abuses, ways to take action and a QR code that allows smart phones users to take action while they shop. The innovative use of new technology to push for an end to child labor abuses is already generating buzz on popular technology new sites.

As consumers place the alerts in their local supermarkets, they are also filming the action and posting videos online. The launch video includes footage from California to DC to Boston. With all of the materials and instructions online, it is easy and fun to take action in your community. With National S'mores Day coming up on August 10th, it is a great time to get the word out to consumers that Hershey is currently lagging behind its competitors in sourcing cocoa that has been certified by independent third parties to comply with international labor rights standards.

You can start taking action right now by watching the launch video and forwarding it on to friends. Then sign the Change.org petition to Hershey. Next, start planning your supermarket visit and join the fun!

Photo credit: Maria Louzon

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

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