{"id":2112463,"date":"2023-11-30T16:23:02","date_gmt":"2023-11-30T21:23:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mars-inc-accused-of-using-cocoa-harvested-by-5-year-old-children\/"},"modified":"2023-11-30T16:26:12","modified_gmt":"2023-11-30T21:26:12","slug":"mars-inc-accused-of-using-cocoa-harvested-by-5-year-old-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mars-inc-accused-of-using-cocoa-harvested-by-5-year-old-children\/","title":{"rendered":"Mars Inc. accused of child labor in 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\">18<\/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-accused-of-using-cocoa-harvested-by-5-year-old-children%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=2112463&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A Mars bar \u2062is seen on July 1,\u2064 2005 in Sydney, Australia.\u200b Snickers and\u2062 Mars Bars were withdrawn from sale \u2063in the Australian state of New South Wales after a contamination \u200bthreat, food manufacturer MasterFoods said. (Photo Illustration by\u2064 John Pryke\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>OAN\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oann.com\/tag\/elizabeth-volberding\">Elizabeth Volberding<br \/><\/a>11:40 PM \u2013 Thursday, November 30, 2023<\/p>\n<h2>Child Labor in \u200dGhana&#8217;s Cocoa Farms Exposed<\/h2>\n<p>Children as young \u2063as 5-years-old in Ghana have been\u200d discovered using machetes almost as\u200d large as they are in \u200corder to harvest cocoa \u2062beans needed for some of America\u2019s 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 \u2064whistleblower from the\u2064 company released a slew of insider information, which described how\u2063 Mars, the \u200bAmerican chocolate giant that supplies popular\u200c treats \u2064like M&#038;Ms and Snickers,\u2064 broke \u200ca pledge it made stating \u2063that it would discontinue the use of\u2063 child labor \u2063in small subsistence farms in Africa.<\/p>\n<p>A <em>CBS News<\/em> crew \u200ctraveled\u200b to Ghana\u2019s\u2063 remote cocoa belt\u200c to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mars-inc-candy-conglomerate-uses-cocoa-harvested-by-children-as-young-as-5-years-old\/\" title=\"Mars Inc, candy giant, employs child labor for cocoa harvesting\">find small subsistence farms<\/a> that manufacture Mars\u2019 candy products.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, the\u2062 crew discovered children, some as young as 5-years-old, working at the farms,\u2064 even though the \u2064company had previously committed to have procedures put in place to \u201celiminate child \u200dlabor in its supply chain.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>According to the crew, one child almost \u200dlost his\u200d fingers while slicing open the cocoa pods.<\/p>\n<p>A 15-year-old girl named Munira told \u200creporters that she had been working in the Ghana cocoa fields since she was 5-years-old, saying that her family \u201ccould\u200c not afford the cost of sending her to a\u200c school, which is an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lena-dunham-will-paint-you-a-mural-celebs-auction-services-to-fundraise-for-crew-members-on-strike\/\" title=\"Celebrities auction services to support striking crew members, including Lena Dunham's mural painting.\">hour-long walk<\/a> away.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cI feel sad. I want \u200cto be, like, a medical doctor,\u201d Munira told the press. \u201cBut my family doesn\u2019t have\u2063 money for school.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Field operators at the cocoa farms who \u200bwork for Mars, inc., claimed to reporters that they consistently create lists that list names of children who are \u201csupposed to be kept away from the cocoa\u200d plantations\u201d and enrolled in school.<\/p>\n<p>Mars had previously promised that it would make sure that\u2064 the children are attending school, however, field supervisors said \u2063that the candy company\u200d \u201cnever bothered\u201d\u2063 to confirm if this \u2063was actually \u200dthe case.<\/p>\n<p>When reporters\u200b asked Mars representatives about the use of child labor to manufacture their candy products, one spokesperson stated that \u201cMars unequivocally \u200bcondemns the use of child labor,\u201d and that it has \u201cno\u200b place in our supply chain, and we are fully committed to helping to eradicate \u200dit.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201c<em>CBS<\/em> did not <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rnc-chair-says-it-would-be-a-mistake-for-trump-to-skip-primary-debates\/\" title=\"RNC Chair warns against Trump skipping primary debates.\">provide\u200c specific details<\/a> of\u2062 their investigation to Mars ahead of time in order for us to investigate the claims of misconduct at the time\u200b of this report,\u201d the company\u200b spokesperson said. \u201cMars treats any claim of misconduct in our supply chain very seriously \u2062and\u2064 pledges to thoroughly \u200dinvestigate once we have \u2064the necessary\u2063 information and\u2064 take appropriate action.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Additionally, Mars posted a press statement regarding its cocoa manufacturers in Africa and the \u2062company\u2019s agreements with child labor laws.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cOur cocoa manufacturers in \u2062Africa have agreed to adhere to our robust Supplier Code of Conduct and we have also been clear that they must have a Child Labor and Remediation \u2064System (CLMRS) in place by 2025 that\u200c complies with\u2064 the industry-leading International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) standard,\u201d the company said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cTo be clear, we condemn the use of child labor,\u201d \u2063the company \u2064added. \u201cWe will continue to work diligently with parties across the cocoa \u2063sector to\u2064 further help advance respect for human rights in the cocoa supply chain.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to 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 \u200bthis post!\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>California Governor Gavin Newsom and Florida Governor Ron \u2063DeSantis are set to debate one another tonight, but some are questioning\u2064 DeSantis\u2019 motives for participating in the\u2064 spectacle. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>The families of people taken hostage by Hamas speak on Capitol Hill. One America\u2019s Jericho Dancel has more.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>After two \u2064House Democrats introduce a privileged \u200dmotion to expel embattled representative \u2063George Santos.\u2063 House Speaker Mike Johnson expresses reservations about the \u2062push.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>A \u2064Louisiana District\u200d Court and the 5th Circuit \u200cCourt Of Appeals have banned the Federal Government from\u2062 working with\u200d social media companies to censor speech. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>More\u2064 advertisers are likely to flee\u2062 Elon Musk\u2019s social media \u200bplatform X after\u200d the billionaire lashed out at some of\u200b the biggest names in the media\u2064 industry.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>We asked ChatGPT, OpenAI\u2019s viral chatbot, how it felt\u2062 on its first birthday.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>4:05 PM UTC \u2013 November 29, 2023 LONDON \u200b(Reuters) \u2013 Google DeepMind has used artificial intelligence (AI) to predict the structure of\u2026 <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>November \u200d29, 2023 \u2013 10:58 AM UTC \u2064BERLIN (Reuters) \u2013 Germany\u2019s Bitcoin Group (ADE.DE) said on Wednesday it was taking measures to\u2026 \u2063 <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> rnrn  <\/p>\n<h2> What were the findings of the CBS News crew&#8217;s \u2064investigation \u200cinto child labor in Ghana&#8217;s cocoa farms?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Child Labor in Ghana&#8217;s \u2063Cocoa Farms Exposed<\/p>\n<p>Child labor continues to be a persistent issue in various industries across the \u200bglobe, showcasing the unethical practices that still exist despite\u200c international efforts to\u2063 eradicate \u200dsuch practices. Recently, another shocking instance of \u200bchild labor has come to light, this\u2063 time \u2063in Ghana&#8217;s cocoa farms, \u2063which supply cocoa \u200bbeans for some of\u2064 America&#8217;s most beloved chocolate bars\u200b and\u200c candies.<\/p>\n<p>An unnamed whistleblower from\u2063 Mars, the \u2062American\u2064 chocolate giant \u2064that produces popular treats like M&#038;Ms and \u2064Snickers, released a trove of insider information on Wednesday. This information revealed that Mars\u200d had broken its pledge to discontinue the use of child labor in small, subsistence farms in\u200c Africa.<\/p>\n<p>In response to these \u200crevelations, a CBS \u2064News\u200b crew journeyed\u2063 to Ghana&#8217;s\u200b remote cocoa \u2064belt to investigate the matter \u2064firsthand. Their findings \u2062were alarming, with children\u200b as young \u200bas five years old working on the\u2063 farms, utilizing machetes nearly as\u200b large as themselves to harvest cocoa beans. This discovery directly contradicted\u2064 Mars&#8217; claims of implementing procedures to eliminate \u200bchild \u200dlabor in its supply chain.<\/p>\n<p>The CBS \u200bcrew documented several distressing instances, including one child who nearly lost his fingers while slicing open cocoa pods. They\u200b also interviewed a \u200d15-year-old\u200c girl \u200bnamed Munira, who had been working in the \u200dGhana cocoa fields since the tender age of five. Munira\u200c expressed her desire to become a medical doctor but lamented that her family could not afford to send\u2062 her to school, which was an hour-long walk away.<\/p>\n<p>Field \u200coperators at\u2064 the cocoa farms, who work for Mars, claimed that they consistently created lists to keep children\u200d away from the plantations and enrolled them in school. However, they revealed that \u200dMars never bothered to confirm if this was happening as promised.<\/p>\n<p>Once confronted with these allegations, Mars&#8217; representatives \u2062condemned \u2064the use of child\u200d labor unequivocally. They \u2064emphasized that\u2063 such \u200bpractices had no place in their supply chain and \u2063pledged to eradicate them. Mars stated that any claims of misconduct in their supply chain would be investigated thoroughly and appropriate action taken.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, Mars posted \u2064a press statement asserting \u2062its commitment to adhering to \u200da robust Supplier Code of Conduct and ensuring that\u2062 its cocoa manufacturers in Africa implement a\u2064 Child Labor and Remediation System (CLMRS) by\u2064 2025, compliant\u2064 with \u2064the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) standard.<\/p>\n<p>It is crucial to note \u2063that CBS did not provide specific details of their investigation \u200cto Mars ahead of \u2062time to enable the company to address the claims promptly. \u2063However, Mars vows to act upon receiving the necessary information.<\/p>\n<p>The exposure\u200b of \u2063child labor in Ghana&#8217;s cocoa farms\u2064 highlights the exploitation\u200c that persists in certain industries, even within renowned companies. Such revelations call \u2063for increased vigilance,\u200c global cooperation, and stricter regulations to protect the rights and well-being of vulnerable\u200d children worldwide.<\/p>\n<p>By bringing these\u200c issues \u200bto\u2064 light \u200dand holding companies accountable, \u200dwe can strive towards a \u200dfuture where child labor becomes \u200bnothing more than an unfortunate\u2064 memory of the past.<\/p>\n<p>Stay informed and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gaetzs-father-seeks-return-to-florida-gop-senate\/\" title=\"Gaetz's dad wants to rejoin Florida GOP Senate.\">receive breaking\u200b news directly<\/a>\u200c to your inbox -\u200d subscribe now!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As 5 years old are being taught coding skills in schools across the United States. This initiative aims to prepare the younger generation for the digital age and equip them with essential skills for future job opportunities<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2368,"featured_media":2112464,"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-2112463","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\/2112463","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=2112463"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2112463\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2112464"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2112463"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2112463"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2112463"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}