1. Do know where your Products come from? A look into working conditions in other countries

2. Chocolate Location: Ivory Coast Working Conditions: The U.S. Department of State estimates that more than 109,000 children in Cote dIvoires cocoa industry work under the worst forms of child labor, and that some 10,000 are victims of human trafficking or enslavement. These child workers labor for long, punishing hours, using dangerous tools and facing frequent exposure to dangerous pesticides as they travel great distances in the grueling heat. Those who labor as slaves must also suffer frequent beatings and other cruel treatment. (laborrights.org)

3. The Numbers

4. Cotton Child Slave Labor: – Each fall shortly after the start of the school year the government orders schools to close down and send children to the fields. – Each school is given a quota, if children do not work to the teachers satisfaction it is common for them to be beaten. – Children as young as 9 but on average ages 11-14 work full days in hazardous conditions unsupervised, which little to no food and water provided forcing them to drink from irrigation canals, causing disease and illness to spread. – Children 14 and older are forced to stay in unsanitary field sheds for the entire picking season.

5. Other Issues Cotton farmers in Uzbekistan receive approximately US$410 Per tonne, while the government makes US$ 1193.79 per tonne. In reality other estimates claim farmers can get as little as 15% of the profit. Many Cotton laborers live in poverty getting paid around US$ 6 per month. Expenditure on health, public (% of GDP) Expenditure on health, public (% of GDP) 2.3 Under-five mortality (per 1,000 live births) 38 Under-five mortality (per 1,000 live births) Life expectancy at birth (years)Life expectancy at birth (years) 68.2 GDP per capita (2008 PPP US$)GDP per capita (2008 PPP US$) 3,084

6. The United States Expenditure on health, public (% of GDP) Expenditure on health, public (% of GDP) 7.1 Under-five mortality (per 1,000 live births)Under-five mortality (per 1,000 live births) 8 Life expectancy at birth (years) 79.6 Life expectancy at birth (years) GDP per capita (2008 PPP US$)GDP per capita (2008 PPP US$) 46,653

7. Pineapple Workers are frequently exposed to toxic chemicals through pesticides and fertilizers. Companies do not always provide proper protective gear and family members or workers are frequently exposed to the chemicals when laundry is done at home. Numerous reports have shown that chemical application in the pineapple fields is more harmful and bothersome to workers than in other agricultural sectors. Side effects range from allergies, nausea and skin rashes to more serious, long term conditions. On average, pineapple plantation workers only have a work life of four years. Pineapple plantation and processing workers, like most agricultural workers, labor for long hours and earn poverty wages. On average they work 10-12 hours a day, six days a week, often in the hot sun. Both in Costa Rica and the Philippines, unrealistically high production quotas and low piece rate wages have led to long workdays. Work without overtime pay compels workers to work longer in order to make a meager living. The instability and seasonal nature of the work forces workers to maximize their income when the work is available, thus putting their safety at risk. Pineapple workers have not seen their incomes rise as living costs rise.Philippines

8. How can we Help? Chocolate: Increase the price of cocoa - Ivory Coast Prime Minister has said that the price of cocoa should be 10 times higher than it is now to ensure the quality of life for the seven million farmers and their families in Ivory Coast. Buy fair trade Chocolate Cotton: Shop at stores that have joined the campaign to end forced Child Labor in Uzbekistan and refuse to use cotton farmed from there. These include brands such as American Eagle, Gap INC, Jc Penney. Kohls, Levi Strauss and Co, Nike, Target and Nordstrom. Email or write to companies that still use cotton from Uzbekistan and let them know you will not support a company that supports such practices. An example of such company is H&M. Pineapple: Make sure you know where the produce you are getting is coming from and the working conditions of such places.

9. Resources http://www.sweatfree.org/shoppingguide http://www.laborrights.org/ http://hdr.undp.org/en/