Child Labour
The bitter taste of sugar
To celebrate the World Day Against Child Labour (12 June) and within the topic "Food production and sustainability" included in the 12th grade Biology course, the students enrolled in this subject looked at the issue from a completely different perspective. They researched about and reflected on the inequalities in food access in the world, quickly realising that children are often used and exploited (even enslaved) so that we can delight ourselves with the food that arrives at our tables.
Children have the right to education and should never be deprived from it for the sake of corporate profits.
As after reflecting, it is also important to spread the message, students created either posters or short advertising spots where they exposed the violations of these rights and the circumstances in which they occur, thus showing that some of the products we consume on a daily basis, such as cocoa, sugar and chocolate, are produced with the use of child labour and trafficked children.
They also show that some countries have already adopted strategies to address this problem, namely the use of Fairtrade Marks to certify that products, for example chocolates, are made without the use of slave, forced, child and other kinds of exploitative labour. Fairtrade certification should be a reality all over the world. It isn’t in our country, though. Therefore, it is necessary to raise public awareness of these situations so that change can take place.
This work is a small step, but the most important is to start taking action.
The posters are displayed near the school entrance, in the window of the Health Club.