Four Years on Has Anything Changed?

Who could forget the scenes of devastation that we saw on 24th April 2013 when the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh collapsed killing over 1,000 garment workers? Now four years on what has changed? The New Daily reports that after the tragedy 200 international apparel brands and retailers from about 20 countries, two global trade unions, and eight Bangladesh trade unions came together to develop the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety, which mandates safety inspections. Twelve major Australian brands have joined the Accord. However there continues to be concerns about the safety of workers four years on. Workers are not paid enough to meet their families basic needs. We need to advocate for safe, secure, well-paid jobs for garment workers. We need to ensure that the clothes we purchase in Australia have been ethically produced. The recently released 2017 Ethical Fashion Guide provides information about 106 Australian and New Zealand companies. You can help eliminate exploitation of garment workers.

Sr Sarah Puls speaks about Slavery in the Cocoa Industry

In a recent interview aired on ABC Radio National ACRATH member, Sr Sarah Puls sgs, spoke on the link between chocolate and child slavery. Sarah explained that most of the chocolate we eat in Australia comes from West Africa. People in this area are at risk of exploitation because there is not enough money to employ people. Employment practices can be less than ethical. In particular children from the area, and also children trafficked into the area, are forced into picking cocoa beans. These children are denied their right to an education. So is there such a thing as ethical chocolate? Learn more about this issue by listening to the interview with Sarah here.

Help Drive the Demand for Traffik-free Chocolate

Since the more recent media exposé of the traffcking of children and child labour on cocoa farms in 2000, the chocolate industry has been trying to address the issue, albeit sometimes slowly. All of the major chocolate manufacturing companies now have a Code of Conduct – a promise to protect the environment and the human rights and labour conditions of suppliers. Seventeen years after the initial exposé, child labour in the chocolate industry
is still a pressing issue.  ‘A Matter of Taste‘ examines what the six biggest chocolate companies and the three certifiers are doing to prevent and end human trafficking and child labour in the cocoa farms of West Africa.

See what the chocolate companies are doing.Is your favourite chocolate brand working towards the elimination of child labour in the cocoa industry? If so send a message of thanks. If not, urge them to source certified cocoa for their products.

Download A Matter of Taste or a summary version.

Your Choice is Your Voice

STOP THE TRAFFIK is a coalition of NGOs working against human trafficking and slavery. ACRATH is an active member of this coalition. For ten years STOP THE TRAFFIK has been asking chocolate companies and stores to take action in their supply chain to prevent and end the trafficking of children to produce the cocoa that ends up in our chocolate. Things are improving but we are nowhere near where we need to be yet!

Children may be trafficked to produce the cocoa for your Easter Egg. Children come before the egg! Join us to have an Easter free from human trafficking. Choose your chocolate carefully. To find out more about where you can find #traffikFreeEaster Eggs go to the 2017 Good Egg Guide.

Help Spread the Word

If you know where you can buy Easter Eggs certified free from child slavery tell your family and friends. Consumer demand can make a big impact on both the producer and the retailer of a product. In past years some people have found it difficult to find Slavery-free Easter Eggs so we hope the table below may give you some suggestions. While this list is not exhaustive it is published to help those who are struggling to find slavery-free eggs.

	Retailer	Description
	Aldi	Aldi's Easter Egg range is UTZ certified
	Coles	Coles have a number of products that carry the UTZ certification
	David Jones	David Jones sell the Chocolatier range of FairTrade Easter Eggs
	Haighs	This Australian Chocolate company sources UTZ certified cocoa.
	Oxfam	The Divine range of FairTrade certified Easter Eggs can be found in Oxfam shops

International Women’s Day 2017

The theme for International Women’s Day in 2017 is #BeBoldForChange. This day invites us to celebrate the achievements of women and to be bold in taking steps to promote gender parity.

Did you know that according to the UNODC 2016 Global Trafficking in Person Report 71% of all trafficking victims are women or young girls? Human Trafficking is a violation of human rights. The time to act is NOW.

• Be a voice for women in the situations of your daily life – your school, your workplace, your church community, your sporting club, etc.
• Become more informed about human trafficking in all its forms
• Alert other to the fact that human trafficking exists in Australia and so be a voice for the vulnerable
• Join in  ACRATH campaigns to help reduce the demand for goods produced by slave labour
• Make a donation to support the work of ACRATH

Will Your Easter Eggs  Be Slavery-free?

In 2015, Pope Francis said that “every person ought to have the awareness that purchasing is always a moral – and not simply an economic – act.”

Cocoa is a key ingredient of chocolate. Much of the chocolate sold in Australia is made using cocoa beans picked by children, many of whom have been enslaved, or forced to work in exploitative conditions. The International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF) estimates that there are 1.5 million children working in the cocoa sector in West Africa.

Did you know that the Easter eggs in Australian supermarkets might be made with cocoa beans picked by children, many of whom have been enslaved or forced to work in exploitative conditions with no access to education and other human rights? What ethical Easter eggs will you enjoy this Easter?

Spread the word about slavery-free Easter chocolate and enjoy chocolate that carries any of the following symbols on the wrapper.Click here for Slavery-free Easter resources.

Do You Know Where Your Clothes Come From?

Walk Free has produced this video clip to inform consumers about the power they have to make a difference. Demanding cheaper goods can fuel the demand for slave labour. What choices will you make in the future?

Why Support Fairtrade?

When you choose Fairtrade certified products you’re voting with your dollars for a fairer global marketplace free of child labour and the exploitation of vulnerable people. Fair Trade Fortnight is an annual, nationwide celebration of all things fair trade & the difference that choosing fair makes for millions of farmers & workers in developing countries. Whether you are purchasing chocolate, tea, coffee, sports equipment or cotton look for Fair Trade products. This simple action can make a difference for farmers and workers. Read more…

Young People Visiting Supermarkets and Dessert Bars

Young ACRATH member, Francesca, tells of young people in Adelaide raising awareness about child slavery in the cocoa industry. They have been encouraging supermarkets and dessert bars to sell chocolate produced with Fairtrade cocoa.