one brought the rice itself right now it's come back from here i don't take the i don't really do much of this how much is it to help that nations about to. talk to us celebrated his 2nd victory of the season while hamilton will have to wait china shall share markers record for career wins. for watching you give you news get more d.w. dot com or on twitter instagram at u.w. news m y m blue cross and for watch. we're all set. to go beyond. all of the stories that matter to. us. whatever it takes to get the running. he explained a little bit d.w.

made for mines. chocolate we can't seem to get enough of it each year we consume $7000000.00 tons of it worldwide. if. it comes in countless varieties and price ranges made by anything from small autism all chocolate makers to the international giants that dominate the market. and the whole spectrum can be seen at confectionery trade fairs like these but the exhibitors are also here to teach children about where chocolate comes from. have you heard of ivory cruise is the biggest producing country in the world goes through to the. couple's looking. good uses the look of we take care of these plans

. surprisingly there are a critical voices at the exhibition as well environmental organization mighty earth is here to talk about the darker side of chocolate city with a majority of consumed cocoa in a past 20 years if you have a closely guarded child labor and slavery absolutes work in the worst condition eyes are dangerous chemical has shot machetes and have to carry very heavy loans right here. this has long been known in the chocolate industry but many companies still insist they are doing what they can to protect children and the environment. to satisfy the industry acknowledges the problems defies the afforestation and child labor of plantations us officials hold back i assure us they are working hard to improve the situation is there to save them all. over the last 10 years more and more cocoa producers have pledged to save the forests and sent children to

school instead of work. but are they. this is the harbor of abidjan the economic capital of ivory coast the west african country produces 40 percent of the world's entire cocoa supply. the trees that it comes from grow on small remote funds. there are around 6000000 of these farms worldwide and they're mostly left to their own devices. their harvest then goes through a long supply chain of traders and manufacturers before it ends up on our shelves. i'm paul mora a french television journalist and i'm. interested in the very 1st link of the

chain. much of the remaining rain forest in ivory coast lies in the southwest about an 8 hour drive from the capital the region is known as the country's cocoa belt. even as we approach on the main road children run away when they see our camera it's a sign we're getting close to the plantations. why did you tell him to run away is he working for you. know so why send him away why are you filming. child labor is forbidden in ivory coast punishable by up to 6 months in prison but it's really prosecuted as it's shown too hard to prove . in the far west of the country the roads turn into where it muddy dirt tracks. militias patrol the area

they say they're here to protect the people. they collect money from everyone who passes through especially the cocoa trucks. it costs 100 francs to pat sometimes 500 if you've got a whole truck it's 1000 francs. this is the protected juan de forest reserve about 10 kilometers from the liberian border it used to be part of the species rich west guinea and lowland rain forest. but there's not much left of the forest or the protected animals. the land was cleared to make way for thousands of illegal cocoa plantations.

the green plants could count trees the primary forest is dead. officially no one is even allowed to enter the syria without permission from the forrestal thorazine but no one is here to enforce the rules. of these hidden camps the littlest sons of. the farmers a working illegally on land that doesn't belong to them journalists on welcome here so we don't tell them what we do. we're accompanied by a member of an n.g.o.s for human rights. around 40 people who live in this camp in huts men and children only. play

drink water from the river and eat bananas and manioc that they grow in the forest themselves. if they pick could count cones and cut them open with machetes all day. long. it takes a lot of care and precision the shells $100.00 and their blades shop. it's the only way to extract the precious beans that is still coated in a white fleshy pulp. cut cut. cut cut cut. cut cut cut on. the beans are left out. to dry before they have bagged up and sold to

a co-operative. the workers a very young about a 3rd of them a children. they're extremely poor immigrants from neighboring turkey no faso. can't give up. their homeland is a country plagued by drought hunger and violence the cocoa business in ivory coast is often their only hope for survival. drama on these 13 years old really good point and she going to school if you do good why don't i go to school with one of them yes it will land on my truck down here why don't you. think. you can buy those parents couldn't afford it anymore it was too far and you know

come on how did you end up here then about. i came with my older brother a lot of the love that does still get out of the. car is the youngest in this camp who are 5 what about you know school i don't. know. no no you know i don't like school. but you know i need to earn money. for. these forest should in theory be monitored by ivory coast's ministry of water and forests a moment. that we didn't need to you ever see ranges here she yeah but they leave us alone as a member of. the government does have an official plan to save the rainforest they want to redistribute the land reforest some of the areas that have been destroyed and use legal farms more efficiently more than 200000 cocoa farmers are meant to receive. training. but next to nothing has actually happened so

far meanwhile immigrants from bikini afonso continue to arrive to work on ivory coast illegal plantations. they come as children and stay for many years the forest becomes their prison. a sees is just one of its prisoners their parents stayed. and burkina faso you don't see them you know about you know i haven't seen them for 6 years but. you were 15 when you arrived here of a. rector's. and now i'm 21 a long time without your parents yet it's very painful you are going back even back you know it's not one thing. i know. if you think you know this is the 1st year i've actually started earning money. doesn't figure from my

g.p. . it's one of the darkest secrets of these clandestine plantations people like us ceased toil for years without compensation only later did they receive a small piece of land in return to grow their own harvest and keep any returns he feels. he can finally make some money from selling cocoa this is how the camps in guam debate operate 1st the boys work for food then for payment in kind. of the. alley has also started working on his 1st small plot of land if it didn't involve your boss doesn't pay you. know no i didn't get any money and. decided i'd work you know get my own. look at the idea you worked for free for 6 years exactly.

slave labor. yes that's just the way it is with of people these years you mean that i harvested i think i had. said and then. with a bag and a heart that's 180 kilograms which sells for $210.00 euros that's our lease new annual income. has just arrived from bikini afonso this is the start of his new life here. and then i. think i'm 100 here skipping can you tell me how much money he makes. for the overall food. god. i don't know yet and it developed into a period of how much. the question is making really sharp uncomfortable.

i mean if they're getting. it probably if he works in here literacy of his own plot. ok thank you for tamara right now he's working for free just you know he's working towards getting his own point we're going to impose on it there but it will not how old are you i think you do this thing do you know how old you are. with one of us and he doesn't know. where is your birthday. it was here but he went into the city. the city of geek glow is 40 kilometers east of the forest children from bikini afonso who've been sold by their parents arrive at this bus station to be bought by plantation owners.

to observe one of these transactions our n.g.o.s pretends to be a farmer he's wearing a hidden camera. he finds 2 traffickers at the station waiting for the children to arrive from the kenya fast so. they target the most vulnerable ones who'd be willing to work just for food. they tell us who's in charge of this business. the next day we meet the old man as he's known here but the love interest me often kids for you no problem but you know . i'm going to pay a purpose or. i'll be very happy to find children for you. i'll be happy and so will you. this was are you a prophet to be a parent get 200000 francs on this are. you send the $200000.00 to the parents or dollar part of the church or look below before the long can they work for me 3 or 4

years. to stay for 3 maybe 2 years and i can't pay more than 200000 don't worry they're not all the same price. for humans have different prices. like sheep are not worth the same. to finish your coffee and get the children. just as a favor i know of course. that. 200000 west african c.f.a. francs a worth roughly 300 euro. rose that's the cost of $1.00 slave for 3 years. while our guide has a coffee the old man gets a tip off that there are journalists investigating the illegal plantations he calls off the deal. the young workers have no idea of the dangers they face of the cocoa plantations one of the worst is invisible toxic herbicides but i know that

you work in the fields. we come across a lot of children wearing big weed sprays on their backs often working without a mask we want to find out what they're spraying. isn't that harmful for you. you know. you won't get sick no. when you pour in there. so that if it was that doesn't have a red lid yeah the red live means the boys unless. the bottles with the red lead contain weed killer it's sold everywhere but what's it made off. so is the basket no idea what it is it's chinese you're. forced to find out more about these weed killer we venture further into the forest to another illegal plantation the deeper we push the more we begin to realise why

the forest is dying out and when we. got off the water that poor. it kills weeds. and everything then you plant cocoa. yes we spray the stuff everywhere. to the children who work here use this product as wells even sitting them. yes. it's clive for saying you know what that yes. we know the name but we don't know what it does we just kill weeds and plant cocoa. glad to say it is a broad spectrum herbicide that kills almost all plant species and the world health organization has identified it as a probable cause an agent especially when applied without appropriate protective gear. has no one told you it might be dangerous music i know we didn't know it was harmful or possibly even deadly. because when you see the protective clothing on the packaging doesn't that make you wonder lawyer said we know we have protection

to use this product but we don't have any. so we just may do without it. that's how you make room to plan a cow brains while that's right. once the vegetation has been destroyed the cocoa can grow quickly. and come over for tea due to the trees they're all white. we set them on fire. ok do we use dry wood chipper in them down. if they're like you've. been you have no cites for coca. exactly as you. could count trees rely on the 1st of all soils of the forest but they're also leeching them drying. the environmental

organization mighty earth documents the destruction. as you. do something new way to look at our life once kick our ride it takes over the entire forest as a full sun monoculture masses of chemicals are sprayed all over 20 years later the ground is completely worthless so they push deeper into the forest into the same thing again and again they just keep moving further in that's why i say the cow plant is a canopy can you hang. between 992015 over 90 percent of ivory coast's primary forests were cleared. they've mostly been replaced with could count trees. this continual deforestation is having an impact on the local and global climate less

forest means less rain and without rain nothing will be able to grow here even cocoa. as the soil dries up as a vital source of income in the region within a week in the gone to a forest we witnessed all the crimes the industry pledged to eradicate including slave labor child labor and the destruction of the environment. for the general public. like getting. however each and every day tons of these illegal cocoa beans into the regular supply chain the people who buy them are like to keep a low profile but we find a trading post at the edge of the forest that buys both legal and illegal produce these bags stored here come from at least 40 different families where. there's no marking on the bags to say where they came from they are opened in the

beans are all mixed together completely impossible to track. one of the biggest cooperatives in the region cooper web used to work under the fair trade label. just blame this logo means taking a stand against child labor and deforestation. in 2017 people web had it certification suspended was their cocoa being grown in the protected rain forest. that's ok. we have hardly any business partners in the classified rain forest the number is marginal. is it safe. when these trucks arrive with dozens of

bags like these are you sure none of them come from the areas where child labor or deforestation are taking place let's be honest we saw child labor everywhere within the classified zone outside the zone everywhere. this. is about it depends what you call child labor a man who takes his kids to the field on sundays is that child labor. no that's not child labor. but i'm calling from the kenya faso who's been here for. my view is that's child labor raiola i mean normal. so far i haven't heard of any such cases of children working for one of our partners. through. the law can you be sure. we inspect our producers every year. the supply chain for chocolate is anything but transparent what exactly happens

between the forest and down supermarkets. that's the cocoa you process where does it go how does it would use buying this fact orders. exporters. like to mislay. it is export us from ivory coast. to. the cooper web manager won't tell us who he sells to we come back in the evening and to drive us spills the beans says you know those folks can give yes. they both yes. koopa web sells it's kick our beans to congo a giant us conglomerate the trades agricultural commodities among other things. it's an intermediary that sells cocoa on to the chocolate makers whose products we see in our supermarkets many people haven't even heard the name before.

surprisingly we managed to get an interview with congo they usually prefer to stay under the radar. i keep the silver cocoa too that you get from ivory coast to many big companies i'm not exactly sure nestle mars legal. and some others. without knowing it mo. most of us are eating cocoa products supplied by congo the company promises that it supplies clean cocoa but we have our doubts we confront the manager and his p.r. officer with our images. only if we only stayed for a few days and we saw children on the roadside working with machetes and weeding with dangerous herbicides. that's terrible you should already know about the ideas

on false to see if child labor is something we do our best to prevent within the certified co-operative organisations that are part of our sustainable development and that we're all for sustainable hoka we offer a 50 percent premium cycle compared to the price of conventional being depleted. so 50 percent goes to the cooperative who you know do you have the cash to. the boss are you sure the money is being redistributed even the cooperative is run by a well trained people it's all for me. our system works. we're committed to quality. the promise commits us to make a difference to them in return for the 50 percent premium these cooperatives are supposed to actively improve the daily lives of farmers by building schools for instance this is a promise that cooper webb has also committed to. it

is it hard to verify when children are being forced into labor so we have to build a school this year only one of our sections in the 6 year. oh you do for cooper where for cooper web. site when. you go out i think that well the location has already been chosen but we'd rather keep it confidential next year if you come here i'll show you where there was already there will be. i hope it'll be there and it will be there. in a location secret nothing's been built. because he's lying that he didn't tell the truth seems to. me i can't promise that things are running better in our industry than elsewhere. also pledged to no longer destroy the

rain forest to grow cocoa they promised that by the year 2030 there would be 0 d. forestation in the supply chain. for station is a key issue for us because without the forest there's no rain and without rain we have no trees so you know being. that sounds wonderful but you do business in one of the most deforested places in west africa yes it's very difficult. for a station in ivory coast between 116 and 20 there was 90 percent and when we arrived in 2010 that figure was already 80 percent did tweet or miss things need to change. how can you be sure that the cocoa superwomen selling it doesn't come from the classified forest. which is basically a list where unspeakable things are happening. we've

implemented our reliable system that enables us to identify the producers we're working with. because the politically are g.p.s. tags with a barcode on. it. we collect all of this and a database which allows us to link the product to the producer as it were played. this system is mentioned on congo's web site codes on cocoa banks a scanner with satellite connection that offers state of the g.p. . yes traceability the problem is this footage is from ghana not ivory coast. i'm sorry but i spent a week in this area and i didn't see a single bag with a barcode cooper where they didn't have a single one but it's that information doesn't match what i have here at all because. we asked the cooper web manager about the possibility of using

technology to identify the farmers and track the bags. they've come up with was how can we know whether it actually comes from the classified forests we need a g.p.s. position is it do but who can help us with that the state has to do that he said. do you know how they do it in ghana you in ghana they are facing the same issues each bag has a barcode with a g.p.s. identification that links it to the producers it can work like that could you make it happen i said blushing we've also believe if they can do it in ghana we should be able to do it here as well but you know. i didn't get a confirmation about these barcode that maybe it's the old system but it's definitely certified we're talking about the worst practices here no doubt we're not perfect and i'm not saying that we've found the perfect solution but we are trying. after the interview we receive an angry message from congo they checked and

have to admit we were right there are no bar codes on the banks from the go on to be forest but they assure us that 99 percent of farmers are registered and everything should be straightened out within a year. to see problem to despise them still does all these issues deforestation slave labor child labor it all comes down to one thing traceability without traceability law it's almost or it's all in the shadows we don't know who to hate accountable everyone is hiding as soon as we know who sells what to who like. when where and how then all of a sudden we have something that works we can people accountable for this child in particular for this case deflated we are for just deforestation and so we can make a problem traceability is the key to everything. we also want to explore the areas of ivory coast where cocoa is being grown

illegally rather than on secret plantations in the classified rain forest. in 2012 ivory coast's government launched its 1st national action plan to crack down on child labor its 3rd and latest plan has expanded to include issues such as supply chain traceability and illegal plantations in the classified forests and that it's allocated a little over 100000000 euros for the daunting task. may as 2 man works for one of the ngos that implement the program at the local level in order or are said. our role is to help children who are in trouble feature level of different sort of the future children who are being abused who are sent to slavery where you know cocoa plantations. those are the ones who are here to help us as the 4th. you there about a mistake for me for i work with the ministry of family to raise awareness in these

villages about the child exploitation that takes place within cocoa farming. to. children in ivory coast often help their parents out in the fields on the weekends that's not illegal qualm a is targeting the families who don't even send their children to school. he works for a small n.g.o.s funded by international donors he himself used to work as a buyer for the cocoa cooperatives so he understands why the farmers rely on their children's help. because they help you to pick up the parts that far right. yet they pick up the pods you need to understand these children shouldn't be doing this work and that if you take it off. the store a lot of cocoa farming paid well everyone who could afford to send their kids to

school but isn't it usually when i explain to them that children need to go to school they tell me they'd love that but they simply can't afford it isn't it by the way because if it were farmers with 4 or 5 children and no money to put them through school of course they don't know what else to do or. the only way to put children 1st through on a cocoa farmers salary is to make sacrifices elsewhere. mr song who has been working in the cocoa business for 30 years he's very proud of his son who will soon go to college he helps his dad during the school vacations. you're studying that's right what's something to do for. us but i'm going to start history this year i just graduated from high school and i'll continue my studies at college. tuition fees is very difficult that's why it's wonderful that you can manage the 1st installment earnings will only last for 2 months. there is nothing left.

next to get lewis his little brother he doesn't go to school or school anymore he's dad had to make a choice it was either get or his brother. i don't have enough money like last year you need 700 francs a day. $0.75 a month that's not enough. to exhaust and to poor. well you know. the worker fingers to the bone we have nothing left to give there's no money my children help me out where they can. do you go to school. not anymore see if your dad could afford it would you rather go to school or work

or the topic. which. when i got a no cell phone number one the chocolate industry turns over more than 100000000000 euros a year meanwhile it's estimated that an average cocoa farmer earns less than one euro a day. would raising the price of cocoa beans put an end to child labor. could the solution really be that simple that's a question we wanted to put to the representatives of the chocolate industry. we travel to dabbles a small town in switzerland that's known for hosting large international business

events every 2 years swiss chocolate manufacturer berry cult invites the cocoa industries leaders to the conference. since 2012 they've declared it big goal to end the abject poverty in cocoa producing countries. very cold though notified us by email that we were not welcome at the event we go along anyway in the hope of meeting some people we can talk to after all they claim to promote transparency. but the hotel security has strict orders no. yes no fear we. let us work is no. no. if you. lose searching over the years. we stay on the sidewalk. the minister

a question please. says the former minister from ghana almost talks to us but is quickly led away we starting to become a nuisance so they send us someone to interview as long as we promise to leave afterwards stammers the problem it is there i mean is the. problem but don't feel double the fact that you bridgeable we're not allowing any additional journalist in the ones that we're already. spoken to listen let's agree you're going to me or questions and i'm going to reply to assure his bullshit. the burning question is why is nothing changing back in 2001 the big chocolate maker has committed to in child labor that was almost 20 years ago. trade is an manufacture is set up along the group will cocoa foundation that was supposed to improve conditions but social and environmental simple solutions.

are very hard to find for something as complicated as the child labor and what we all agree that the solution of paying more to the growers of those it is not been implemented yet. we are looking at ways to scale up approaches to how farmers can improve their income 18 years of. use to looking what you going to do in the future and nothing is done nowadays efficiently to stop poverty. i would i wouldn't say that nothing is being done now as i mentioned before we have companies that are committed to paying premiums to farmers to help them increase their income levels the cocoa business altogether every year is a $100000000000.00 worth and that growers get 6 percent i think it's in the what if what i can say is that this is not unusual for commodities if you think of cotton i mean how much does a cotton farmer get compared to how much we pay for

a pair of jeans or another article of clothing that is made from cotton so it's this is not something that's specific to cocoa ok so we'll meet in the 20 years and see what's going on ok every 20 years or. a little the sooner than that police sooner that. the power doesn't. rest soley in the hands of the chocolate makers what about the law makers chocolate is a widely consumes product in europe. so we pay a visit to the european parliament in brussels astoundingly there is no sanction for illegal practices within the cocoa supply chain. heidi how to land an m.e.p. from finland has regular meetings with manufacturers. have a year. in the last 3rd of the workers there are children boys yes there is a tragedy. we are busy preparing an

action plan on what to do with cocoa so that cocoa would not anymore cause the forestation and child labor and what is really very remarkable is that more and more companies are saying that we need this mandatory due diligence of a geisha we need law inform a times you would have said that companies are masochistic that they are asking for a lot yes but but they want what they call a level playing field because they don't want to be irresponsible and then they see that the irresponsible companies are reaping the profits you know for a cheap price so that's the question because to be responsible may cost a little more and you feel. like well well if i may i would just like to show you an example that of course there is this kind of fancy side of the industry but there's not a word about these huge human rights issues and environmental issues that are hidden in that supply chain chocolate so i was invited to this reception i just

couldn't go because it is not honest simple questions one of the more i don't have a good answer to that everybody who works on the problems of cocoa say that yes you can you can. maybe. you can coming to terms with. the forestation and there is the deep deep question of living wage is i think it's a terrible thing that we can taste these fancy chocolates here in brussels but then see work or in it got people are probably did not even taste it because it's too expensive it's a luxury product out of their reach so a living wage is syria. so simple if they had just a little more money then more of their children could go to school back in ivory coast in the village of troy or to cocoa farmers or investing the little money they

make in their children's future they've all chipped in to hire a teacher 200 children attend this class. we. found out 4 years. hard you are. right when we see children going to the fields we tell their parents to send them to school instead we take kids between the ages of 6 to 9 how do you get paid. i get paid each month. by the parents by the parents they all chip in yes the state doesn't contribute. because the state can't afford to hire teachers in school remote areas like this. that's right.

in 2019 ghana and ivory coast joined forces and decided to set the price of cocoa themselves the way opec countries do for oil. exporting countries have demanded the industry pay 30 percent more to the farmers that only translates into the $0.30 per fan. good day but it's hopefully one small step towards a bigger change. the color india time norah in register on is a special village us much village residents work together to ensure effectiveness find quality of life with a safe water supply and basic amenities. and they are creating jobs.

how route community takes pride in the way of life. india. next to the good from. what keeps us in shape what makes us see and how do we stay home from. my name is dr carlson the can i talk to medical experts. watch them at work. and then discuss what you can do to improve your health. stay tuned and let's all try to stay good should. include a spot w. . every 2 seconds a person is forced to flee their home. the consequences been disastrous our documentary series displaced depicts traumatic humanitarian crises around the

world. forgetting we don't have time to think i didn't go to university to kill people and i think the impact that handful of people feel for their lives and their future so they seek refuge abroad but what will become of those who stay behind. displaced starts october 16th on g.w. . this is d.w. news and these are our top stories dozens of civilians and soldiers are dead after military clashes between armenia and azerbaijan flared up over the disputed region of no going on every fighting broke out of the area that lies within azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic army since 1000.