Is your chocolate someone's chains? - Two steps you can take to be the change

Let’s just start out by saying, I am absolutely in love with chocolate. It is not as much a love as coffee, but put them together and I am transported into another realm. Out of this worlds day to day grind and into a moment of ecstasy. It’s like heaven. A dreamy smooth piece of chocolate followed by the espresso’s contrasting yet complimentary flavor, mmm.
All that to say I am utterly shocked at what I have just learned. Until I heard about this I really had no idea what went on behind the scenes of my silky smooth chocolate treats. Over a third of the world’s cocoa comes from Cote D’Ivoire, West Africa where cocoa production uses child and forced labour (The Department of Labour 2009). In a investigation, “the BBC found evidence of human trafficking and child slave labour.” (BBC Panorama) Kids are literally being taken prisoner, not paid, and forced to work long cruel hours farming the delicious chocolate we enjoy.

There has been some legislation in the past trying to make its way in to put labels on chocolate saying ‘made slave free’, this has come to a halt with no real progress. I think legislation is a part of all of this. However, I think the most powerful force to stop these injustices is if all the consumers stopped demanding normal products, and only demand fair trade or traffic free chocolate, along with other products that cause injustice. The market is completely driven by supply and demand. Companies can only sell their product to the extent that it is demanded. Therefore, if we as consumers began demanding fair trade products businesses, in order to keep selling, would have to adapt to what the market market demand.

Steps you can personally take to stop this:

1. First of all, start buying fair-trade (www.fairtrade.co.uk) and www.transfairusa.org. I will definitely be looking for these symbols whenever I buy chocolate from now on. Though not a perfect system, fairtrade is a great step in the right direction. I literally will not be buying chocolate unless it’s marked fairtrade.

*I will post a follow up blog in the next few weeks with the best places and best chocolate to buy.


2. Learn More about it:
BBC did an entire documentary on this topic. It is incredibly informative.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/panorama/hi/front_page/newsid_8583000/8583499.stm


Thanks for taking the time to read this blog,

Justin
See how our company is doing out part to make a difference. - Our Cause

Photos:
Macro Photography - Cadbury Dark Chocolate

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic License.http://www.ethictravel.com

Social entrepreneurs can rise to the top - The Entrepreneurial X-Factor - E-Myth Worldwide

This is an amazing article that I hope will ignite passion into any potential social entrepreneurs out there. I truly believe that social businesses could be the most successful enterprises in the world. A large part of success is keeping motivated and passionate. There is no better way to do that than to have a purpose. The business or organization is simply the means to accomplish an end. Read this. Get inspired. Think big. Create a vision. Do this in a creative way thinking how you can make an impact in society through it all! Not only that, do this and you will find yourself more fulfilled personally than you could have ever imagined.

Click the link below to read this great article from E-Myth.

The Entrepreneurial X-Factor - E-Myth Worldwide

Welcome video blog: A blog focused on businesses making a difference

Welcome to the Ethic ! Business blog. This isn't a place for me to spew my thoughts, but instead I hope it becomes a place where people gather, read, comment, and connect with other social businesses and people passionate about making a difference. A place where we as consumers can learn how, why, and where we can buy socially impact-ful products and services.

Calling all entrepreneurs, world changers, and history makers

“Potential entrepreneurs are outsiders. They are people who imagine things as they might be, not as they are, and have the drive to change the world around them.” - Anita Rodick

Entrepreneurs have always been innovators, changers, and an influential force throughout history. From them have come a vast array of life changing inventions and ideas, some turn into reality while some stay ideas! We have reached a day and age where a generation of social entrepreneurs need to rise up. Now more than ever, as the world is becoming globalized we have a responsibility. In the recent years many injustices have been brought into the open; human trafficking, child soldiers, poverty, AIDS, extreme poverty, and that’s just to name a small few. 

What if an incredible generation of social entrepreneurs would rise up passionately pursuing solutions to todays social problems? What if potential entrepreneurs realized that it really isn’t money that satisfies the souls longing, but instead giving and helping others fills it. What if every business and consumer began purchasing on ethical grounds! What if throughout our lifetime we could use what we have to truly make a difference in someone's life? If you are going to spend your life doing something, spend it helping others and you will be amazing at how fulfilled you will be. It’s a new age of doing well, by doing good.