PORTLAND, Ore., US – Marking World Chocolate Day this July 7, 2021, fair trade watchdog organization, Fair World Project, announce the completion of the premiere season of their new For a Better World podcast, “Nestlé’s KitKat Unwrapped” which takes a close look at the complicated and controversial supply chain issues behind the ingredients in Nestlé’s KitKat Bar, and what it takes to produce the chocolate.
A recent U.S Supreme Court decision let chocolate producers Nestlé and Cargill off the hook for their complicity in human trafficking and child labor in their cocoa supply chains, making this World Chocolate Day a particularly important time to reflect on the issues of corporate accountability and human rights abuses in the production of such a commodity. The premiere season of the For a Better World podcast explores these issues in depth.
“With the U.S. Supreme Court decision (Cargill, Inc. v. Doe I) declining to hold U.S. multinationals Cargill and Nestlé responsible for trafficking and child labor in their overseas cocoa supply chains, it has become even more urgent to develop mandatory human rights due diligence legislation that includes meaningful requirements for corporate accountability. Our podcast series is about more than just a chocolate bar—it’s a discussion about balancing the scales of power, addressing climate change, and asking critical questions about our food system,” says Dana Geffner, Executive Director of Fair World Project and Host of For a Better World.
Produced by Fair World Project, the first season of the For a Better World podcast looks at the tension between the facts surrounding Nestlé, and its questionable sourcing practices. Listeners can hear from the cocoa farmers who worked with Nestlé, the activists holding Nestlé accountable, and visionary leaders around the world who are showing that a fair, ethical chocolate trade is not only possible—it’s already happening.
“While fair, ethical chocolate is a delicious indulgence to celebrate on World Chocolate Day, it is also an important time to look at the extractive business model of the multinational chocolate companies that is built on poverty prices, driving child labor, deforestation and so much destruction,” says Anna Canning, Campaigns Manager of Fair World Project and Host of For a Better World.
Season one of the For a Better World podcast is out now and streaming across all major podcast listening platforms. Listeners may download and subscribe to For a Better World from popular podcast platforms including Apple and Spotify; as well as through the Fair World Project website (transcripts available): https://fairworldproject.org/podcasts/.
Fair World Project (FWP)’s mission is to protect the use of the term “fair trade” in the marketplace, expand markets for authentic fair trade, educate consumers about key issues in trade and agriculture, advocate for policies leading to a just economy, and facilitate collaborative relationships to create true system change. FWP also produces the podcast, For a Better World. For further information, visit: http://www.fairworldproject.org.
