A conversation about Fair Trade

We as a family usually dwell mostly on the true meaning of Easter but there is always a little bit of chocolate and usually an egg hunt in there as well. This year we had an extra conversation about where the chocolate in our chocolate bunnies and eggs came from and what the money we were spending was actually supporting. It was quite an enlightening discussion. In our research we found out about the slave labour farms in the Ivory Coast. Wallace was very upset to think that boys his age were forced into slave labour. The conclusion that we came too was that we as a family would only buy Fair Trade chocolate, cocoa and coffee. Michael made a good point about rather doing without than making a child suffer and just because we don't see that child suffering doesn't mean it isn't happening and now that we know our conscience can no longer be clear when purchasing these goods. Do these things cost a little more? Cost to who, can one really put a price on a child's life?

So this year, since our decision was so new and I haven't yet been able to find Fair Trade Easter candy, their chocolate consisted of a few large chocolate bars. They really didn't seem to mind.

On a lighter note and to illustrate John's complete lack of understanding of the aforementioned conversation, today we were at the Pastor's house for dinner and when his wife served the dessert, of ice cream cake, he said, "Miss Sharon, is this Fair Trade ice cream?" We chuckled and had to give the back ground to the question.

This is where we started our investigation, maybe you'd like to do the same.