simply:
Feastables, MrBeast’s chocolate brand, is not Fair Trade certified, and there is no information on their website about where their cacao is sourced. Chocolate companies in the past have used slave and child labor to harvest cacao.
in depth:
Fair Trade Certification:
Fair Trade certification ensures that products are made according to rigorous social, environmental, and economic standards. This includes fair wages for workers, safe working conditions, and sustainable practices. For more information, visit the Fair Trade website.
The Issue with Feastables:
Feastables, launched by popular YouTuber MrBeast, has gained significant attention for its marketing and philanthropy. However, it does not state anywhere on the Feastables official website where their cacao is sourced from or whether their chocolate is Fair Trade certified. This lack of transparency raises concerns, given the history of unethical practices in the cacao industry.
Why It Matters:
The chocolate industry has faced scrutiny over the years for the use of child and slave labor in cacao harvesting. While we are not accusing Feastables of these practices, the absence of Fair Trade certification and clear sourcing information leaves unanswered questions. Ethical sourcing is crucial to ensuring that products are made without exploiting workers or harming the environment.
Request for Transparency:
At Ansuz News, we believe in the importance of transparency and ethical practices in all industries. We are reaching out to Feastables for comment and clarification on their sourcing practices. Certifications like Fair Trade can take time, but transparency about sourcing is a vital first step.
Conclusion:
Consumers deserve to know where their products come from and how they are made. We hope Feastables will provide more information on their sourcing practices to reassure their customers of their commitment to ethical standards.
sources:
- Food Empowerment Project: This source details the harsh realities faced by children working on cocoa farms in West Africa, including being deprived of education and subjected to poor living conditions. It highlights that many children working in these conditions are trafficked and forced to work without pay, enduring physical violence and extreme poverty (Food Empowerment Project).
- U.S. Department of Labor: According to a study funded by the U.S. government, the prevalence of child labor on cocoa farms in Ghana and Ivory Coast has increased over the past decade, despite industry promises to reduce it. The study found that children are often engaged in hazardous work, including the use of sharp tools (DOL).
- Morningstar Sustainalytics: This report discusses the challenges of tracing cocoa back to its plantation of origin and highlights that many companies in the cocoa industry still face issues with child labor within their supply chains. Despite efforts to implement monitoring systems, child labor remains a persistent problem (sustainalytics.com).
- Berkeley Law: This article emphasizes that despite international agreements to combat child labor and slavery in West Africa, these issues continue to be prevalent. It mentions instances of very young children using machetes and carrying heavy loads, reflecting the dangerous conditions they work under (Berkeley Law).
- Al Jazeera: This article notes that the number of children engaged in hazardous work on cocoa farms in Ghana and Ivory Coast has risen. It discusses the complexity and scale of the problem, linking it to poverty and insufficient efforts by the industry to address the root causes (Al Jazeera).