2.5 Organic chocolate
Some chocolate companies use only organic chocolate in their products . Currently organic chocolate is only grown in the Central and South American regions , and not in West Africa , which makes all organic chocolate slave-free . In Central and South America , cocoa growing conforms to quite high quality and working condition standards , especially in Costa Rica .
Unfortunately , the benefit of eating it does not reach Côte d ’ Ivoire . The very best option is to buy non-slave chocolate from companies that help slaves and cocoa farmers . Fairtrade , for example , works with some slave-free cocoa farms in Côte d ’ Ivoire . ( Go to page 14 to learn about Fairtrade ). Many abolitionist groups encourage the consumption of slave-free chocolate from the West African region when possible .
Large companies ( like Nestlé ) will sometimes make a few organic or Fairtrade products to help their marketing , but still sell other slavemade chocolate products . Companies should prove a true commitment to the cause , as opposed to using the problem of child slavery solely for marketing purposes . However , companies can only sell if someone will buy . If consumers want something different , they will offer it .
2.6 Who consumes the most chocolate ?
According to MarketsandMarkets , the annual chocolate industry is worth over € 63 642 622 200 ( US $ 83 200 000 000 ), which is not only enormous , but also appalling , considering that most of the people who supply the fuel for the industry , the cocoa farmers , live in poverty . Europeans account for nearly half of all the chocolate the world eats . The average Brit , Swiss or German will each eat around 10-11 kilograms of chocolate a year . In Asia , chocolate is not eaten as much ; however Asian markets are expected to hold a 20 % share of the global market by 2016 .
According to Stop the Traffik , only about 0.0075 % of the money made by the chocolate industry since 2001 has been invested into improving the conditions of children in West Africa .
Africa only accounts for about 3 percent of worldwide chocolate cunsumtion . Go to page 26 for import , export and consumption figures .
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