Friday June 9, 2023
Speak Free 
What we're talking about right now.
Tuesday May 16, 2023
David Yambio: “EU policy is killing us”
Video credit: Refugees in Libya “We have been killed, we have been raped, we have been tortured, we have been extorted, and we have been put to forced labor,” says David Yambio, Libya survivor and advocate. David Yambio co-founded the survivor-led movement Refugees in Libya which amplifies the voices, experiences, and demands of people who have been subjected to grave mistreatment in Libya. He calls the E.U. and the Libyan governments out for their role in creating a mass detention system in which refugees are systematically abused and exploited. And he demands urgent change. “We ne
Monday May 15, 2023
I visited cocoa farmers in West Africa. Here’s what they told me.
The global chocolate industry has made major profits thanks to the work carried out in the cocoa-producing countries of West Africa, and yet, cocoa farming communities continue to live in poverty. Poor conditions give rise to several other concerning issues, including forced and child labor, and deforestation. We hear a lot about what changes are needed to make the chocolate industry fairer from civil society, sustainability experts, government representatives, and companies themselves. But the most important voices in this discussion are often the hardest to hear: the voices of farming com
Friday March 31, 2023
Chocolate companies’ fake sustainability claims won’t fly
“100% sustainably sourced cocoa,” says the sign on the stand promoting Cadbury, a popular chocolate brand of Mondelez International. Many chocolate brands draw on similar language to promote their products— “ethically sourced”, and “sustainable cocoa”—but are these claims verified? Chocolate (porky) pie, anyone? Let’s look at the case of Cadbury's parent company, Mondelez. Last year, the company participated in the 2022 Chocolate Scorecard, meaning they filled out a survey with key information about their cocoa-sourcing practices which was later graded by experts. Here’s t
Monday March 20, 2023
Why chocolate companies must go beyond certified cocoa
Our community often asks us how to shop ethically. Seeing a recognizable certification logo on a chocolate treat could put your mind at ease when shopping: cocoa certified by the most popular schemes—Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, or organic—is usually the preferred option for those of us mindful of the social and environmental impacts of the products we buy. But do we know what these certification labels actually mean? Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of different schemes is key to being able to make conscious shopping decisions and encourage brands to go beyond the requireme
Monday March 6, 2023
International Women’s Day: a story of collective power
Are you planning on marking International Women’s Day? Share your thoughts and questions in the comments! When 15,000 women, the majority being immigrant Jewish garment workers, marched through New York City in 1908, they sparked the call for an annual observance of International Women’s Day. These women in New York were demanding the right to vote, better working conditions, shorter working hours, and better protections from exploitation through the initiation of the first labor unions. More than 100 years later we remember that International Women’s Day is ultimatel
Friday February 10, 2023
Does it do what it says on the tin?
This is the republication of the foreword to the report published by Human Rights at Sea entitled "Does it Do what it says on the Tin? Fisheries and Aquaculture Certification, Standards and Ratings Ecosystem: An Independent Review 1.0" available here. As consumers we are led to believe we hold the power to ensure the goods we buy are not harmful to humans and the planet. In classic economics, companies simply supply what the market demands. We are ‘the market’ and it is the market that sets the price. And we are increasingly aware, in this information age, that price goes far beyond the
Thursday December 22, 2022
The unusual break the World Cup 2022 brought
With Lionel Messi captaining, Argentina’s third win at the World Cup 36 years after their second, may not be considered especially unusual. What about the host country Qatar? The first tournament to be held in a Muslim nation is a break from a history of past locations – predominantly Europe and the Americas. The break I am referring to is the unusual focus on the experience of exploited laborers. Major sporting events and trafficking tropes Before Qatar 2022, extreme exploitation in the context of major sporting events that caught public attention was limited to the topic of trafficking f
Friday December 16, 2022
Open letter to FIFA and Qatar ahead of the World Cup final and International Migrants Day
To Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA; Dr Ali bin Samikh Al Marri, Minister for Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs in Qatar: We are writing on International Migrants Day as a group of human rights advocates and over 100,000 supporters around the world urging Qatari authorities and FIFA to commit to protecting migrant workers from exploitation and remedy human rights abuses endured as a result of the 2022 World Cup. We call on FIFA to: Set up a dedicated compensation fund for migrant workers and the families of those who have died. This amount should at least be equivalen
Wednesday December 7, 2022
Chocolate companies must pay a living income price for cocoa, says 2022 Cocoa Barometer
Sustainable chocolate won’t become a reality until companies start paying a living income price for cocoa, according to the 2022 Cocoa Barometer. The biennial report, developed by the VOICE Network, which Freedom United is part of, shows that cocoa production continues to cause major social and environmental harm and that current efforts to tackle core issues are failing. Authors Antonie C. Fountain and Friedel Huetz-Adams also explore the role racism and colonial-era dynamics play in the industry. Problems in cocoa persist; some are getting worse The report finds that endemic issues cont