{"id":2112328,"date":"2023-11-30T14:50:02","date_gmt":"2023-11-30T19:50:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mars-inc-candy-conglomerate-uses-cocoa-harvested-by-children-as-young-as-5-years-old\/"},"modified":"2023-11-30T14:53:10","modified_gmt":"2023-11-30T19:53:10","slug":"mars-inc-candy-conglomerate-uses-cocoa-harvested-by-children-as-young-as-5-years-old","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mars-inc-candy-conglomerate-uses-cocoa-harvested-by-children-as-young-as-5-years-old\/","title":{"rendered":"Mars Inc, candy giant, employs child labor for cocoa harvesting"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmars-inc-candy-conglomerate-uses-cocoa-harvested-by-children-as-young-as-5-years-old%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2112328&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Mars bar is seen on July 1, \u20622005 in Sydney, Australia. Snickers \u200cand Mars Bars\u2064 were withdrawn \u2063from sale \u2062in the Australian state of\u2062 New\u200d South Wales\u200d after a\u200c contamination threat, food manufacturer MasterFoods said. (Photo\u2063 Illustration\u2063 by John Pryke\/Getty\u2064 Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>OAN\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oann.com\/tag\/elizabeth-volberding\">Elizabeth Volberding<br \/><\/a>11:40\u200c PM \u2013 Thursday, November 30, 2023<\/h2>\n<p>Children as young as 5-years-old in \u200dGhana have been discovered \u2063using machetes\u200c almost as large as they are in order to\u2063 harvest the cocoa beans needed for some of America\u2019s\u2063 most popular chocolate bars and candy.<\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1663871513696-art-3\" style=\"min-width: 320px; min-height: 50px; text-align: center;\">  \t<script>  \t\tgoogletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1663871513696-art-3'); });  \t<\/script>  <\/div>\n<div class=\"ad-slot__ad-label\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday, an unnamed whistleblower from the \u2064company released a slew of insider information, which described how Mars, the American chocolate \u2063giant that supplies popular treats like M&#038;Ms and Snickers,\u2064 broke a pledge it \u2063made stating\u200b that it would discontinue the use of \u2062child labor in small subsistence farms in Africa.<\/p>\n<p>A <em>CBS News<\/em> \u2062crew traveled to Ghana\u2019s remote cocoa\u2062 belt to find small subsistence farms that manufacture Mars\u2019\u2064 candy products.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, the crew discovered children, some as\u200c young as 5-years-old, working at the farms, even \u200cthough the company had previously\u200b committed to have procedures put in place \u2063to \u201celiminate child labor in its supply chain.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>According\u200b to the crew, one child almost lost his fingers while slicing open the cocoa \u2063pods.<\/p>\n<p>A 15-year-old girl named\u200b Munira told reporters that she had been \u2063working in the\u200d Ghana cocoa fields \u2064since \u2063she was 5-years-old, \u2062saying that her family \u201ccould not afford the\u2064 cost of sending her to a school, which is an hour-long walk away.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cI feel sad. I want to be, like, a\u2062 medical doctor,\u201d Munira told the press. \u201cBut my family doesn\u2019t have money\u200b for school.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Field operators at \u2064the cocoa farms who \u2063work for Mars,\u200d inc., claimed to reporters that they consistently create lists that \u2063list names of children who are \u201csupposed\u2063 to be kept away from the cocoa plantations\u201d and enrolled in school.<\/p>\n<p>Mars had previously promised that it would make sure that\u200c the\u200d children are attending\u2063 school,\u200d however, field supervisors said \u2062that the candy company \u201cnever bothered\u201d to\u200b confirm if this was actually the case.<\/p>\n<p>When reporters asked Mars \u2063representatives about the\u2063 use \u2064of \u200bchild labor\u2064 to manufacture their\u200b candy\u200d products,\u2064 one spokesperson stated\u2062 that \u201cMars\u200c unequivocally condemns the use of child labor,\u201d and that it has \u201cno place in our supply chain, and we are fully\u2062 committed to helping to eradicate it.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201c<em>CBS<\/em> did not <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-admin-snubs-gop-leaders-on-new-iran-diplomacy\/\" title=\"Biden Admin Snubs GOP Leaders on New Iran Diplomacy\">provide specific details<\/a> of their investigation to Mars ahead \u2063of time in order for us to investigate the claims of \u200bmisconduct at the\u2062 time of this\u200c report,\u201d the company\u2062 spokesperson said. \u201cMars\u2062 treats \u2062any\u200c claim of misconduct \u200din our supply chain \u2062very seriously\u2064 and pledges to thoroughly investigate once we have the necessary information and take appropriate \u2063action.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Additionally, Mars posted a \u200cpress statement regarding its cocoa manufacturers in Africa and the company\u2019s agreements with child labor laws.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cOur cocoa manufacturers in Africa have agreed to adhere to our robust\u2063 Supplier Code of Conduct and we have \u200dalso been \u2064clear that they must have a Child Labor and Remediation System (CLMRS) in place by \u200d2025 that complies with the industry-leading International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) standard,\u201d\u200b the company said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cTo be clear, we condemn\u200b the \u200duse of child \u2062labor,\u201d the company added. \u201cWe will \u200bcontinue to work diligently \u2064with parties across the\u200b cocoa sector to further help advance respect for human rights in the \u200bcocoa supply chain.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Stay informed!\u2062 Receive breaking news blasts\u200d directly to\u2063 your inbox for free. Subscribe here. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oann.com\/alerts\">https:\/\/www.oann.com\/alerts<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"rc-widget-10bad2\" data-rc-widget data-widget-host=\"habitat\" data-endpoint=\"\/\/trends.revcontent.com\" data-widget-id=\"278641\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"dpsp-share-text\" style=\"margin-bottom:10px\"> \t\t \t\tShare this post!\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>After two House Democrats introduce a \u2064privileged motion to expel\u2063 embattled representative\u2064 George Santos. House Speaker Mike Johnson expresses reservations about the \u200cpush.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>A Louisiana District Court and the\u2062 5th Circuit Court Of Appeals have banned the Federal Government from working\u2063 with social media companies to censor speech.\u2063 <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>with \u200dEd Martin<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>with Dr. Jeff Barke<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>More advertisers are likely to flee Elon Musk\u2019s social\u2063 media platform X after the billionaire lashed out at some of the \u200dbiggest \u2062names in\u2063 the media industry.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>We asked ChatGPT, OpenAI\u2019s viral chatbot, how it \u2062felt on its first birthday.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>4:05 PM\u200b UTC \u2013 November 29, 2023 LONDON (Reuters)\u200c \u2013 Google DeepMind has used\u2064 artificial intelligence (AI) \u200cto predict the structure of\u2026 \u2063 <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>November \u200d29, 2023 \u2013 10:58 AM\u2062 UTC BERLIN (Reuters) \u2013\u200c Germany\u2019s Bitcoin Group (ADE.DE) said on Wednesday \u200bit was taking measures to\u2026 <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> rnrn  <\/p>\n<h2> What steps is Mars taking to investigate the allegations\u2063 and prevent the use of child labor in its supply chain in the future<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Mars Candy Accused of Using Child Labor in Cocoa Farms<\/p>\n<p>Published on: November 30, 2023<\/p>\n<p>In a shocking revelation, an unnamed whistleblower from\u2062 Mars, the American chocolate giant, has exposed the company&#8217;s\u2064 alleged use of child labor in cocoa farms in Ghana. The information came to light on Wednesday, raising serious concerns about the company&#8217;s commitment to eliminating child labor from its supply \u2064chain.<\/p>\n<p>According to the whistleblower&#8217;s claims, Mars, the supplier of\u200c popular treats like M&#038;Ms and Snickers, had previously pledged \u2063to discontinue the use of child labor in small subsistence farms in \u2064Africa. However, an investigative crew from CBS News visited Ghana&#8217;s \u2064remote cocoa belt and found children as young as 5 years old working\u200c on the farms, despite Mars&#8217; commitment to address this issue.<\/p>\n<p>The crew discovered distressing instances of child labor,\u2064 including \u2063a child who almost lost his fingers while slicing open cocoa \u200cpods. Munira,\u2063 a\u2064 15-year-old girl, revealed that she had been working in the cocoa fields since she was 5 years old because her family\u2064 couldn&#8217;t \u2064afford to send her to school, which was an hour away.<\/p>\n<p>Field operators at the cocoa farms, who are employed by\u200b Mars, claimed that they kept \u2062lists \u200dof\u200c children who\u200b were supposed to be kept away from \u2062the plantations and\u200b enrolled in school. However, according to these operators, Mars never followed up to ensure the children were attending school.<\/p>\n<p>When questioned about the allegations, a\u200b Mars spokesperson stated that the company\u200b unequivocally condemns \u200dthe use of child \u2063labor and is fully committed to eradicating it from its supply chain. However,\u2063 the spokesperson also mentioned that CBS\u2063 did not provide specific details of their investigation ahead\u2063 of time for Mars \u200bto investigate the \u2062claims.<\/p>\n<p>In response to the expos\u00e9, Mars released a press statement reaffirming its commitment to ethical practices and compliance with child labor laws. The company stated that its cocoa manufacturers in Africa have agreed to adhere to their Supplier Code\u200c of Conduct and will implement \u2063a Child Labor and Remediation System by 2025 following the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) standard.<\/p>\n<p>Child labor in the cocoa industry remains a persistent issue, with numerous companies\u200d facing accusations of exploiting children for \u200cprofit. The allegations against Mars once again highlight \u2062the need for increased transparency, accountability, and enforcement of \u2063strict labor standards to protect \u200bvulnerable children worldwide.<\/p>\n<p>It is \u2064now\u200c up to Mars to thoroughly investigate the claims made by the whistleblower and take appropriate action if these allegations are proven\u200c to be \u2064true.\u200c Only by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-to-announce-social-media-crackdown-citing-childrens-mental-health\/\" title=\"Biden to Announce Social Media Crackdown, Citing Children\u2019s Mental Health\">holding companies accountable<\/a> can we ensure that ethical practices are followed and the rights of \u200cchildren are protected in every \u200baspect of global supply chains.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As 5 years old were found to be working in hazardous conditions in cocoa farms in West Africa, according to a report by OAN&#8217;s Elizabeth Volberding. The report highlights the ongoing issue of child labor in the chocolate industry, urging companies to take immediate action to address this human rights violation<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2368,"featured_media":2112329,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[542],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2112328","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-oann"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2112328","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2368"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2112328"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2112328\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2112329"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2112328"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2112328"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2112328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}