New film: "There is no role in cocoa production that is safe for the 1.56 million children working in West Africa"
by Lise Colyer March 29, 2022 in Society, Business, Features, Governance
Miki Mistrati has been documenting child labour in West Africa’s cocoa industry since 2007 – and he’s in therapy.
“You never get used to this,” he says. “I want people to understand what they are a part of. If you want to buy a cheap chocolate bar supporting child labour that’s your decision, but don’t tell me that you didn’t know.”
Research accepted by the cocoa industry says that 1.56 million children are working in cocoa production in Ivory Coast and Ghana. According to Miki Mistrati’s latest documentary film The Chocolate War, a high proportion of them have been trafficked from neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso and Mali.