Sweatshops: They're in the Fields Too

          Sweatshops do not necessarily have to occur within factories that produce items such as sneakers. Sweatshop labor can also be found in the fields, the fields where people, often children, toil to produce items, such as cocoa beans, that are used to produce a favorite treat for many: chocolate. These sweatshop situations occur with other products, such as pineapples and cotton, but I think just about everyone enjoys chocolate, at least until you know where it comes from. Cocoa beans are the primary ingredient in chocolate, and are therefore in high demand. Consequently, people are employed as slaves to harvest the beans that make up the treat that many of us indulge ourselves in frequently  (http://www.laborrights.org/) .
          The Ivory Coast, the western coast of Africa, accounts for more than 40% of the global production of cocoa beans, making it the leading supplier of cocoa beans. Since the price for cocoa is low, the producers and farmers hire those who work for low pay: children. It is estimated, by the U.S. Department of State, that more than 109,000 children work on the Ivory Coast under the most extreme forms of child labor. These children toil for hours upon hours each day. They are often exposed to harsh pesticides and frequent and cruel beatings and other punishments. These children, because they are toiling harvesting all day, are unable to receive an education. Since many of these laborers are children, these "sweatshops in the fields" also promote child slavery (http://www.laborrights.org/). Can you see the parallels between factory and field sweatshops?