Isabelle B.

Argument Essay

Almost everyone likes candy and chocolate. However, there are a few problems with the production and consumption of these treats. Cocoa producers in Africa still use child labor, which is illegal. In addition, eating too many treats can cause serious health problems.  Changes need to be made in both manufacturing and consumption.

First of all, we know that candy and sugar is the main cause of cavities. If you have too many cavities, your teeth could, possibly, fall out. Also, too much sugar is bad for the heart. It can cause lots of other health problems such as diabetes and high cholesterol. More than 65% of the US population has diabetes. Sugar is addictive. Once you start eating candy more than one time a day, your body gets used to the high sugar content and when there is little or no sugar in your system, the body wants more sugar. Therefore, it is hard to break sugary eating habits once they set in.  Eating more and more sugar can lead to diabetes.

People spend a lot of money on candy and chocolate.  In 2013, there were over 1.6 billion dollars spent on Valentine's Day candy. That is more money than India has in debt!! This clearly states how much money the US spends on candy in one year.  Another fact is that the US bought 71 million pounds of mini Snickers, leading up to Easter 2016.  Another Snickers fact is that in 2012, more than 407,409,600 Snickers bars were sold in the United States. That is a lot!!!! While some argue that China or Russia are the countries that consume the most sugar, nevertheless, the USA is leading with the most sugar in consumption.

The second problem is with irresponsible manufacturing.  While some might say that child labor on cocoa farms is not a problem, and there are only a few hundred kids left on the farms, it turns out that there are over 1.8 million kids still on cocoa farms in East Africa. The kids work without pay and are taken away from their families.  They are also forced to work in really dangerous conditions, sometimes spraying harsh chemicals and using very sharp machetes. The children sleep outside and receive no medical attention.  The National Public Radio quotes, “Despite efforts, child labor abuse has not stopped on cocoa farms. Cocoa farmers seek cheap child labor.”  It is worth noting that the abuse has gone on for over 20 years. The African government has tried really hard to stop this. The company Cargill buys the cocoa and sells it to major candy companies such as Hershey and Mars. These companies know that child labor goes on to make the cocoa. Cargill has made a promise to not to purchase cocoa from farms that have managed to use children as their employees. Some say that the problem is being solved and that there are very few kids in child labor.  This expert challenges this claim because, in East Africa, there are still over 1.8 million kids working on the farms in Ghana and the Ivory Coast.

In conclusion, I would like to remind the reader that MY side of the argument is CHANGE.  Manufacturers must make changes in manufacturing practices.  They have to stop purchasing cocoa from farmers who use child labor on their farms.  I believe that a child should take a bite of a chocolate bar and know that another child was not harmed while making it. I also think that the prices SHOULD be raised, for people would not buy as much candy and not harm themselves.  There should also be some changes to make candy healthier and less addictive. I hope in the future that some of the changes will be made, so people consume less candy and children are not harmed and abused during cocoa production. :) :)