they worked for me 34 years good to stay for 3 maybe 2 years and i can't pay more than $200000.00 worry they're not all the same prices are. going to humans have different prices. look like sheep they're not all worth the same. to finish your coffee and get the children. just right now of course. ok. 200000 west african c.f.a. francs a worth roughly $300.00 euros 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 cools 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 because i'm going

to go to 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 knowing. what you pour in there. so that that that the user doesn't have to read live yeah there's the red live meaning the boys unless. the bottles with the red lead contain weed killer it's sold everywhere but what's it made off. so it's a 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. when they go in they are going to. do it kills weeds 1st and everything then you plant cocoa. yes we spray the stuff everywhere. to the children who work here use this product as wells even cinnamon. yes. it's glide for say you know what that is yes. we know the name but we don't know what it does we just kill weeds and plant cocoa. gleiser sage is a broad spectrum herbicide that kills almost all plant species and the world health organization has identified it as a probable cause image and especially when applied without appropriate protective gear. because no one told you it might be dangerous no 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

a lot was said we know we have protection to use this product but we don't have any . so we just may do without it if. that's how you make room to plan a cow means 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 so. we set them on fire. ok do we use dry wood to burn them down. like you. mean you have no cites for coca. exactly. count trees rely on the 1st haul sorrells of the forest but they're also leeching them drawing. the environmental

organization mighty earth documents the destruction. as a. new way to look at our. 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. these 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. for as the soil dries up so it is a vital source of income in the region within a week in the ground deb a forest we witnessed all the crimes the industry pledged to eradicate including slave labor child labor and the destruction of the environment. thank. god i got a good. 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 pharmacies. there's no marking on the bags to say where they came from their opened and the

beans are all mixed together completely impossible to track. one of the biggest cooperatives in the region cooper webb used to work under the fair trade label. displaying this logo means taking a stand against child labor and the forestation. in 2017 cooper we have had it certification suspended was the 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 in fact 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 this. little boy 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 i'll. take a little can you be sure and we inspect our producers every year. in. the supply chain for chocolate is anything but transparent what exactly happens

between the forest and our supermarkets. that's the cocoa you process where does it go how does it work who's buying this fact orders. exporters. like mislay. so it's 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. the congo yes. they both yes. cooper webb sells its kick out beans to congo a giant u.s. 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 and. some. without knowing it my. most of us are eating cocoa products supplied by candle 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 the kids 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. see 2nd child labor is something we do our best to prevent within the certified co-operative organisations that are part of our sustainable development network. for sustainable hoka we offer a 50 percent premium compared to the price of conventional green. so 50 percent goes to the cooperative who you know who do you have the cash to. physically be 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 is 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 really one of our sections in the 6 you. know you do for cooper where for cooper web. site when. you go 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 and. why is it a location secret nothing's been built ok 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 their supply chain. for station is a key issue for us as without the forest there's no rain and without rain we have no. bean. that sounds wonderful that 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 then was 90 percent and when we arrived in 2010 that figure was already 80 percent did tweet or mr 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 lawless zone where unspeakable things are happening. we've

implemented our reliable system that enables us to identify the producers we're working with. the supply they 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 applies. this system is mentioned on congo's website codes on cocoa bags a scanner with satellite connection that offers state of the g.p. . yes traceability the problem is the schoolteacher is from ghana not ivory coast. i'm sorry but i spent a week in this area 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 us so how can we know whether it actually comes from the classified or we need a g.p.s. position is but who can help us with that the state has to do it that he said. you know how they do it in ghana you ain't gonna they're facing the same issues each bag has a barcode with a g.p.s. identification that links it to the producers you can work like that could you make it happen are simply not she could be for sale to all of the if they can do it in ghana we should be able to do it here but it's going to go. i didn't get a confirmation about these barcode 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 tricked and have to admit we were right there are no bar codes on the bags 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 so it is all these displays deforestation slave labor child labor it all comes down to one thing traceability without traceability you know it's almost or it's all in the shadows we don't know who died accountable everyone is hiding as soon as we know who sells what trying to write. when where and how then all of a sudden that we have something that works we can people accountable to this child in a particular for this case deflate wherever they are just deforestation and so we can figure the problem traceability is the key to everything. here we also want to explore the areas of ivory coast where cocoa is being grown legally 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 it's allocated a little over 100000000 euros for the daunting task. may as 2 months works for one of the ngos that implement the program at the local level you're there are said. to go to. a role is to help children who are in trouble featured a program for the sort of the future children who are being abused who are sent to slavery where you are cocoa plantations. those are the ones who are here to help also for the 4th. for the for the i work with the

ministry of family to raise awareness of 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. for. 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 are far right. yes they pick up the pods that's a good if you want to understand these children shouldn't be doing this work could actually take it off. the. 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 i guess 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. the only way to put children from is 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 the french official 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. say the actuation fees is very difficult. i can manage the 1st installment of the cocoa earnings will only last for 2 months. then there's nothing

left. next to get lewis's little brother he doesn't go to school or school anymore he's dad had to make a choice it was either good or his brother. i don't have enough money like last year you need 700 francs a day. 750. that's not enough. to disasters to poor. well you know. this got me where 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 something. we're not going to you know got a nose off in our behind the chocolate industry turns over more than $100000000000.00 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 devils a small town in switzerland that's known for hosting large international business

events every 2 years swiss chocolate manufacturer barry 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 kobo 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 oh. yeah no fear we. let us work is no. no no. if you. please sir if you follow the police. we stay on the sidewalk. the minister

a question plays. a 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 no it is i mean is the. problem but that's only double the fact that in principle we're not allowing any additional journalist in the i'm still here already. spoken to listen let's agree you're going to simulate questions then i'm going to reply to issuing this bullshit. the burning question why is nothing changing back in 2001 the big chocolate makers committed to in child labor that was almost 20 years ago. trade isn't manufacture is set up the long be 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 thought that we all agree that the solution of paying more to the growers as it has not been implemented yet. we are looking at ways to scale up approaches to how farmers can improve their income 18 years of. years to lucan 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 of it i think it's enough 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're making in 20 years and see what's going on ok every 20 years and. hopefully sooner than that police sooner than that. the power doesn't. rest soley in the hands of the chocolate makers what about the law makers chocolate is a widely consumed 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. having your war going on a 3rd of the workers there are children boys yes it 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 obligations we need law informant times you would have said that companies are masochistic that they are asking for a lot yes but they have 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. than well 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 then there's not a word about these huge human rights issues and environmental issues that are hidden in that simple i chain of chocolate so i was invited to this reception but i

just couldn't go because this is not the honest simple question 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 that. worker in it got people are probably did not even taste it because it's too expensive it's a luxury product out of their rates so leaving way 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. 3rd year bar you are. right when we see children going to the fields which other parents to send them to school instead we take kids between the ages of 6 to 9 how do you get paid. if i get paid each month. by the parents were by the parents they all chip in yes the state doesn't contribute. because the state can't afford to hire teachers in full 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 $0.30 per fan. good day but it's hopefully one small step towards a bigger change. anything waiting for the 1st time here's see you at last on this earth theme a conversation with the star violinist about star wars her career close coronavirus and why classical music is cool or. meet the artist honest or seem

a tad. 21. in 30 minutes on t.w. . it's a cult billionths. it's about power. it's about the foundation of the new world order the new silk road. china wants to expand its influence with this trade network. but in europe there's a sharp morning when for accept some money from the new superpower will become engines on the commitment of the state to the chinese state has a lot of money at its disposal in the book and that's how expanding and asserting its status in position in the world of. china's gateway to europe.

starts feb 19th on d w. this is the doubly newsline from birthday poisoned russian opposition leader alexeyevna founding is hitting hard and preparing to board a flight at berlin if the kremlin critic is facing jail for allegedly breaching a suspended sentence he's been in germany recovering from a nerve agent attack also coming up. a ring of steel around washington d.c. all 50 us states on high alert in the run up to president elect joe biden's no

gration 25000 national guard troops are being sent in to protect the nation's capitol.