The Dark Side of Chocolate facts for kids

The Dark Side of Chocolate is a documentary film released in 2010. It explores a serious problem: the use of child labor and child trafficking to harvest cocoa beans. These beans are used to make chocolate. The film looks at how this problem continued, even after chocolate companies promised to stop it years earlier.

The Story Behind the Film

Cocoa is the main ingredient in chocolate. Most of the world's cocoa comes from farms in Ghana and the Ivory Coast. For a long time, there have been concerns that some of these farms use child labor. This means children are forced to work, often in dangerous conditions, instead of going to school.

In 2000, a TV show called Slavery: A Global Investigation showed the world how serious this issue was. It made many people realize that children were being exploited in the cocoa industry.

Because of this, in 2001, big chocolate companies made a promise. They signed an agreement saying they would work to end child trafficking and child labor by 2008. This agreement was called the Harkin–Engel Protocol.

Even with this promise, the problem continued. In 2009, some companies like Mars and Cadbury joined the Rainforest Alliance. This group helps farms grow products in a fair and sustainable way. These companies hoped to completely stop child labor on their cocoa farms by 2020. However, in 2019, there were still many children working on cocoa farms in Ghana and the Ivory Coast.

How the Film Was Made

The Dark Side of Chocolate was directed by Miki Mistrati, a journalist from Denmark. He worked with U. Roberto Romano to film the documentary. They wanted to find out if child labor was still happening in the chocolate industry.

Their journey started in Germany. There, Mistrati asked chocolate sellers where their cocoa came from. Then, the filmmakers traveled to Mali, a country where many of the child workers are from. Next, they visited the Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Nigeria. These are the countries where the cocoa farms are located.

The film ends in Switzerland. This is where the International Labour Organization (ILO) has an office. The ILO is an organization that works to improve working conditions around the world. The headquarters of Nestlé, a very large chocolate company, are also in Switzerland.

To show what was really happening, much of the film was recorded using secret cameras. This helped them capture real situations without people knowing they were being filmed.

The documentary was first shown in Denmark in 2010. Later, it was released in other countries like Sweden, Ireland, Belgium, and Norway.

What the Film Shows

The documentary begins by reminding viewers about the Harkin–Engel Protocol. This was the agreement signed by major chocolate companies in 2001 to stop child trafficking and forced labor.

In the film, Mistrati visits Cologne, Germany. He asks chocolate company representatives if they know about child labor on cocoa farms. Many deny it or say they are not aware.

Then, the film takes viewers to Mali. It shows how children are tricked into leaving their homes. They are promised paid work, but then they are taken to towns near the border. From there, traffickers transport them across the border, often on dirt bikes. Finally, another trafficker sells these children to farmers. The film states that a child might be sold for about 230 Euros.

The children shown in the film are often between 10 and 15 years old. They are forced to do very hard and dangerous work. The film claims they are often beaten and that most are never paid for their work. It also suggests that many of these children stay on the plantations for their whole lives, never seeing their families again.

When the filmmakers showed their findings to company representatives, the companies still denied that child labor and trafficking were widespread. However, the film's investigation clearly showed that these problems were still happening on cocoa plantations.

Nestlé and other companies were invited to watch the film and answer questions, but they refused. So, Mistrati decided to show the film publicly. He set up a large screen right next to Nestlé’s main office in Switzerland. This way, employees and others passing by could see the truth about child labor in the cocoa industry.

At the very end of the film, during the credits, police arrive. They ask why the film is being shown outside Nestlé's office. After checking documents, the police tell the filmmakers to turn off the screen.