Cacao Trade Case Study

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CACAO
The Social Consequences of Cacao Trading on West Africa in the 21st Century

INTRODUCTION

Since the last century, West African countries (Cote d'Ivoire/Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, plus others.) have seen an increment of what is nowadays one of their major exports: Cacao, bean-like seeds used in the production of cocoa, cocoa butter, and chocolate (Oxford Dictionary, 2015). This helped them become the largest cacao producer in the world today, harvesting a significant percentage of world’s cacao (Abbott, 2013). Although this may seem highly beneficial for the economy of this historically poor countries, the reality is different; a considerable social problematic tied to agricultural production and cultivation
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Thanks to globalization, besides the opening of commercial barriers and the free trade agreements that have been happening since the last century; has made impossible for cacao farmers to set a stable and fixed price for the beans. As the market in order to be competitive needs to acquire exceptional quality beans at the cheaper price possible. Therefore causing the beans price to fluctuate (law of supply and …show more content…
(Anti-Slavery International, 2014). Cacao squirearchy force children with ages between 11 and 16 years to work an average of 80 and 100 hours per week in a potentially dangerous work activities, for instance the application of toxic pesticides and the use of hazardous machinery put children well-being on risk. Without receiving a payment, nor education, they are only provided with food and they get beaten if they try to escape (Gil Landa, 2014).

A 2013 document between Tulane University and the US Department of Labor that consist in a major survey research about child labor in cocoa production depicts the current situation of exploitation in cocoa farms, hence making the following alarming findings by countable criteria:
“The numbers of children working in cocoa production, in child labor in cocoa production, and in hazardous work in cocoa production have increased from 2008 to 2013
In 2013 2.03 million children were found in hazardous work in cocoa production in both countries combined
In Ivory Coast, the percentage of children in hazardous work in cocoa production increased from 22.3% to 30.9%. In Ghana, the percentage of children in hazardous work in cocoa production decreased from 43.1%

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