Cocoa farmer Adelaju Olaleye leans against the wall of her house in Oke-Agbede Isale, a village in Nigeria’s southwestern cocoa-growing region. Photo: George Osodi/Panos for Oxfam America

Sweet news today for chocolate lovers: the biggest chocolate maker in the world, Mondelez International, has agreed to take steps to address inequality facing women in their cocoa supply chains—thanks to pressure from customers like you.

More than 100,000 people around the world joined Oxfam’s campaign, signing petitions and taking action to urge Mondelez and its competitors to tackle the hunger, poverty, and unequal pay facing many women cocoa farmers and workers. You also made your voices heard by sending messages to the companies on Facebook and Twitter.

One of the images posted to Mondelez’s Facebook page by Oxfam supporters. Pictured: Amir Gorjifard of the Oxfam Club at Grinnell College. Photo: Mary Zheng

Today’s announcement by Mondelez follows commitments last month by Mars and Nestlé to address these issues. Together, Mars, Mondelez, and Nestlé buy more than 30 percent of the world’s cocoa—so changes in their policies could have huge effects for cocoa farmers and their families.

“Empowering women cocoa farmers has the potential to improve the lives of millions of people, some of whom are earning less than $2 a day,” said Judy Beals, manager of Oxfam’s Behind the Brands campaign. “We hope that the steps taken by Mars, Mondelez, and Nestlé offer an example to the rest of the food and beverage industry that consumers are paying attention to how companies impact the communities they work in.”

Mars, Mondelez, and Nestlé are now taking the first steps to commit to the empowerment of women and to find out how women are being treated in their supply chains. All have agreed to publish the data from first stage impact assessments in one year’s time and to publish concrete action plans to address the issues. Mondelez will also sign on to the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles later this month, becoming the first of the three major chocolate companies to do so. Learn more about companies’ commitments.

Oxfam will make sure that these companies stick to their promises, but we can’t do it without you. We’ll put out progress reports so consumers and supporters can keep track and hold Mars, Mondelez, and Nestle to their word. You can also stay informed and take further actions through Oxfam’s Behind the Brands scorecard; we’ll be updating this online tool in real time so you can see how the giant companies that make your favorite brands (chocolate and otherwise) measure up.

A community of 1,367 families were uprooted from central Phnom Penh in June 2006 and forcibly relocated to open swamp land in Andong, 13 miles from the city and their livelihoods.

Why? To make way for a shopping mall that is yet to be built.

Acclaimed photographer Emma Hardy traveled to Cambodia to capture the story of this community and others, fighting to reclaim their rights to own, inhabit, and work the land they once owned. She describes what she saw in Andong slum:

“Seven years on, these families are still waiting for public services. Their latrine is an open field. Water for washing and cooking is piped in rickety plastic hoses at uncertain times of day and stored in large open earthenware jars standing in shockingly-polluted water. In the rainy seasons most makeshift homes are practically submerged in sewage water. In drier months, the stench is overwhelming. Dysentery is rife. Dengue fever and cholera are chronic. These relocated communities have not, to date, received ‘even one grain of rice in compensation.’”

Below are five photos from Hardy, some of which will be featured in a pop-up gallery exhibit in Washington, DC, from April 10^th to the 21^st. (See invite here.) The exhibit was created in support of Oxfam’s efforts to bring attention to global land grabs and was first featured in The Economist’s Intelligent Life magazine.

The pictures speak for themselves.

(1) Street view, Andong slum

(2) Woman collecting water snails for food

(3) Slum dog

(4) Sor Sat, Executive Director of the Cambodian non-profit, Action for Environment and Communities, after a long meeting

(5) Daughter of land activists at a meeting

Around the world, a rush to grab land is underway. Land the size of the California, Texas, Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico combined was sold off globally in the last decade, enough to grow food for the one billion people who go hungry today.

The World Bank influences how land is bought and sold on a global scale. It has the power to step in and play a vital role in stopping land injustice.

Now, just before the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings, encourage the World Bank to take action to halt the speed and scale of land grabbing around the world. Let them know the world is watching. Add your voice here.

Here’s a real treat for chocolate lovers: proof that no company is too big to listen to customers like you.

Exactly one month ago, Oxfam launched the Behind the Brands scorecard with a call for consumers to “change the way the food companies that make your favorite brands do business.” We kicked off the effort by asking you to take action in support of women cocoa farmers around the world, many of whom face poverty, low wages, and discrimination.

In an incredible response, more than 65,000 people sent messages asking companies to improve their policies and help women cocoa growers get a fair deal. Tens of thousands of you also tweeted, shared our messages on Facebook, and attended events around the country. (See some examples in the video below.)

Today, thanks to your efforts, two of the world’s biggest chocolate companies have shown they’re listening. Mars and Nestlé have agreed to do more to “know and show” how women are being treated in their cocoa supply chains, to commit to a plan of action, to work to sign on to the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles, and to work with industry organizations to address gender issues. (Learn more about their commitments here.) We’re encouraged by their commitments and the effects these  will ultimately have on the women who grow and pick the key ingredient in our favorite chocolate treats.

“Women cocoa farmers and consumers around the globe have made their voices heard,” said Alison Woodhead, manager for Oxfam’s Behind the Brands campaign. “Mars and Nestlé have taken important steps to show the farmers they rely on, their customers, and the rest of the food industry that they care about the conditions women face in their supply chains.”

Oxfam is looking forward to working with Mars and Nestlé to ensure that they keep their promises to women cocoa farmers. For now, help maintain the momentum by calling on another of the world’s biggest chocolate companies, Mondelez International (maker of products like Oreos), to follow suit. Add your voice today.

It’s no secret that chocolate companies like Mars, Nestlé, and Mondelez target women with their advertisements. But when it comes to how the companies deal with women in their supply chains…it’s a mess.

Women in chocolate supply chains face, inequality, hunger, and poverty. They are often paid less than men and have less access to training and other resources that would make their lives better. When they face discrimination or abuse at work, many women have no way to complain or fight back. But companies are doing little to address these problems.

To really drive home this disconnect, here are some of the lamest, most patronizing chocolate ads that target women. Did we miss any?  Share your favorite examples in the comments section and take action to tell Mars, Mondelez, and Nestlé to shape up: www.behindthebrands.org/actnow

1. Remember Oreo mini-Cakesters? Yah me neither.

(Oreo mini-Cakesters, owned by Mondelez)

2. This product seems to have been named through a word-association game. “Quick say 5 words that will appeal to women. GO!”

(Skinny Cow Dreamy Clusters Candy, owned by Nestle)

3. Technically this Twix spot appears to be trying to reach men.  But never miss a chance to offend women in the process!

(Twix, Owned by Mars)

4. Wherein we show that ads can be condescending (and super awkward) in any language.

(Nestlé Grand Chocolat, owned by Nestle)

DOVE is really a repeat offender…

5. We pretend that these ads don’t make us want to hurl. We’re only human.

(Dove chocolate, owned by Mars)

6. Did you know that the smoke monster from Lost does endorsement deals…

(Dove chocolate, owned by Mars)

7. Or that he is a professionally trained dancer…

(Dove chocolate, owned by Mars)

8. Apparently he also knows how put the moves on.

(Dove chocolate, owned by Mars)

IN CONCLUSION.

9. Presented without comment, Stories from the Sweet life…

SPECIAL BONUS!

These Dove “Chocumentaries” manage to hit nearly every cliché about women and chocolate:

Now that International Women’s Day is over, I’ll never feel the same way about M&M’s. Nor will I see Oreo cookies or Crunch bars in quite the same light. That’s because, for this March 8, we transformed the wrappers of these iconic products into a call to action on behalf of women cocoa farmers.

Why cocoa farmers? Although chocolate is a $100 billion industry, 90 percent of the world’s cocoa is grown by small-holder farmers in countries like Nigeria and Indonesia. Millions of these farmers, especially women, live in poverty. Meanwhile, Oxfam’s Behind the Brands scorecard found that the world’s biggest chocolate companies could be doing a lot more for the women who grow this key ingredient.

At Oxfam, we believe that no company is too big to listen to its customers. So as the world celebrated International Women’s Day on March 8, we called on consumers to send a message to three influential chocolate companies—Mars, Mondelez, and Nestlé—asking them to put policies in place to help women cocoa growers get a fair deal. To get the word out, we transformed some of these companies’ most famous products, and shared our versions, below, on social media.

Share this graphic on Facebook -  Share it on Pinterest - Tweet it

Share this graphic on Facebook - Share it on Pinterest - Tweet it

Share this graphic on Pinterest – Tweet it

Giant versions of these reimagined products also made an appearance at a snowy Times Square event at the M&M’s World store, and in front of Nestlé’s US headquarters in downtown LA, where the stormy skies parted just as Oxfam staffers and volunteers climbed into a human-sized “scales of justice” to stand in support of women cocoa farmers (see the photos at the top of this post). Oxfam Action Corps volunteers also handed out thousands of redesigned treats all over the country, from Austin, Texas, where the SXSW Festival was just beginning, to Seattle’s Pike Place Market.

Together, these efforts added up. On March 8 alone, more than 10,000 people signed our online petition. As of today, more than 30,000 people have taken action, and one company, Nestlé, has already shown that they’re listening.

Of course, we still have further to go to create real change for women cocoa farmers. But, for now, seeing some iconic brands in a new light could be a great place to start.

Photo: George Osodi for Panos / Oxfam America

In December, I traveled to southwestern Nigeria to talk with women cocoa farmers about their work and the conditions under which they grow the beans that become the chocolate so many of us here in the US crave—and sometimes pay plenty for. Someone’s got to be making a decent amount of money off those melt-in-your mouth truffles, don’t they?

Well, it’s not the women farmers, especially when you consider all the labor that’s required to nurture the cocoa trees, harvest the cocoa pods, extract the beans, and ferment and dry them for market. According to Oxfam’s research, less than 5 percent of the price of a typical chocolate bar goes back to cocoa farmers. And that makes me marvel even more at what women like Anna Iyiola, pictured above, are able to accomplish.

The portrait says a lot about her—the way she stands so strong, so sure. I admire the strength in her hands, the directness of her gaze. And I think about the answer she gave when I asked what she earns for a kilogram of beans:  320 Naira, or just more than $2.

“It isn’t at all a fair price,” said Iyiola.

She lives in Ayetoro-Ijesa, a small village that, until a few months ago, had no electricity and where there is no running water: People collect what they need to drink from a spring about a kilometer away.

Iyiola works on her own cocoa farm, about 1.5 acres in size. Her husband helped her get it going, but since then she has taken care of most of its operation—except for the hardest parts, like spraying to keep pests and fungus from attacking the trees and their pods. Her days are long, starting at 6 a.m. with household chores that include fetching water.

But cocoa farming and household responsibilities aren’t all that consume her time. Like many other Nigerians driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, Iyiola has more than one way of contributing to her family’s finances. She buys kola nuts and resells them at a local market that’s held weekly. Proceeds from that enterprise help fund operations on her cocoa farm.

But, perhaps, the greatest focus of her energy is her seven children and the future she is working hard to help them reach: all of them have graduated from, are in the middle of, or are waiting for admission to colleges and universities.

“My vision is to provide my children with an education so they can be empowered to be able to contribute to the progress of their own life,” said Iyiola.

Take action now to help women cocoa farmers achieve their dreams.

This blog post was written by Erin Gorman, CEO of Divine Chocolate, a 100 percent fair trade company owned in part by the farmers of the Kuapa Kokoo cooperative in Ghana. Oxfam America is partnering with Divine Chocolate for this year’s International Women’s Day celebration.

Christiana Adusei. Photo:Sophi Tranchell

Christiana Adusei, a 58-year-old cocoa farmer, sits with me in the cooperative’s meeting room in Kumasi watching the Ghana Black Stars play in the Africa Cup of Nations.  In two months she will be coming to the US, her first trip out of Ghana, to speak to consumers, businesses, and politicians about her life as a woman cocoa farmer.

Christiana, like so many women in cocoa, ‘’has it all” – all the household duties, the cooking, the cleaning, the farming of foodstuffs. They ensure children go to school and their health is looked after. They farm cocoa and do the drying and fermenting of beans.

Unlike most women in cocoa, Christiana is a member in her own right of a fair trade farmers’ cooperative. She joined Kuapa Kokoo with her husband 11 years ago, because she heard from other farmers that the organization was democratic and fair and that farmers received bonuses and a cutlass, which is among a cocoa farmer’s most prized tools.

About eight years ago she started as the secretary to the village recorder, the person who is elected by the village society to purchase its cocoa for Kuapa. She started training farmers to dry and ferment their cocoa properly so that it met Kuapa’s standards of good cocoa.

“I saw that I was a good teacher and that I could keep good records, and I decided that I should become a recorder myself,” Christiana said. At the elections she stood against the recorder, a man, and won. “Kuapa trained me that as a woman I could be a recorder and could be a leader in my society,” she said.

Cocoa farming is hard and to earn extra income Christiana raises grasscutters, a large rodent prized for its high-protein meat. The youngest of her seven children is still in school and Christiana wants to help her finish her education so the extra income helps. “I hope she will become a nurse and get a good job so she can help me in the future,” Christiana said.

Even though there isn’t a women’s group in her village, Christiana and other women still benefit from regional women’s empowerment trainings offered by Kuapa’s Gender Program. Kuapa instituted the program in 1998 as a response to the challenges so many women cocoa farmers face. The program trains women to take part in the cooperative leadership. Women learn skills to generate additional income, and can then access loans through Kuapa Kokoo’s credit union.

The three-pronged approach of building women’s confidence, skills training, and access to credit has hugely shaped Kuapa. Today 30 percent of the members are women farmers and the president of the cooperative is a woman.

We have a long way to go to make policy and practices work for women in small-scale agricultural production. Members like Christiana show us why it’s important to start trying to do more.

Take action to support women cocoa farmers around the world. Tell Mars, Mondelez, and Nestlé: The women who grow and pick cocoa deserve better.

Which companies are actually behind the food and drinks we buy every day? Most of us would like to know the answers—but, unlike nutrition information, they’re not always written on the label. That’s why thousands of you have commented on and shared Oxfam’s new infographic (below; click to enlarge) making the connections between big companies and some very familiar brands.

Those 10 companies in the middle are now the biggest food and beverage companies in the world. Together, they generate revenues of more than $1.1 billion a day. They also employ millions of people in poor countries, directly and indirectly, to grow and produce their products. Because of their global reach and influence, these companies could play a big role in reducing poverty, hunger, and inequality. But right now, they’re not doing enough.

Oxfam spent 18 months looking closely at how the “big 10” say they do business. Then we created an easy-to-use scorecard—a “behind the brands” look—comparing and contrasting their policies and commitments. We discovered that all 10 need to do a whole lot more to support farmers, communities, and our planet. You’ll find more information about their scores below, along with some surprising connections to everyday products that are probably staples in your grocery cart.

One thing to remember, though: you don’t need to stop buying these products in order to make a difference. Instead, make your voice heard. Check out the Behind the Brands scorecard. Get the facts. Then use your power as a consumer to tell companies exactly what needs to change. After all, no company is too big to listen to its customers.

1. Skinny Cow, owned by Nestlé

These low-guilt desserts are just one of many brands owned by Nestlé, the company behind Nestlé Crunch, Nescafe, and a host of other products. Among the companies on Oxfam’s Behind the Brands scorecard, Nestlé is near the top; it leads the way on climate change and water usage, and is the most transparent. A failure to condemn land grabs and to support women in its supply chains prevent it from being a true sector leader on policy, though. Find out more and send Nestlé a message here.

2. Tropicana, owned by PepsiCo

Who doesn’t drink a glass of OJ now and then, especially in the winter when colds and flu are rampant? The “Florida sunshine” brand is actually owned by PepsiCo, which owns not only Pepsi but Quaker Oats, Doritos, and many other common brands. PepsiCo fizzes in the top half of Oxfam’s scorecard, particularly for its water policies, but still falls flat on land use, the treatment of women, and transparency. Find out more about PepsiCo’s score and send them a message here.

3. Ben & Jerry’s, owned by Unilever

For me, this was the biggest surprise—that the quirky, hippie, eco-friendly ice-cream brand is owned by Unilever, a mega-company that also owns Lipton, Slim-Fast, and all kinds of other products. Near the top of Oxfam’s Behind the Brands scorecard, Unilever scores well on its policies supporting small-scale farmers, workers’ rights, and managing water usage, but its record on women’s rights and land rights leaves plenty to be desired. Ask Unilever to do better by sending a message here.

4. Oreos, owned by Mondelez International

Whether you like cookie or the crème, you may not know that “America’s favorite cookie” is actually owned by Mondelez International, the giant company behind Toblerone, Chips Ahoy, and other chocolate delights. Unfortunately, Oxfam’s scorecard found that Mondelez’ business behavior is less than sweet: their policies score poorly on climate change and water, and could do more for women’s rights, workers’ rights, and land use, though there are some positives around farmers. Take action here to ask Mondelez to do better.

5. Dasani, owned by Coca-Cola

This popular bottled water is owned by one of the most well-known companies in the world: Coca-Cola. Even if soda isn’t your thing, you’ve probably bought one of Coke’s beverages recently, whether it was Odwalla juice or Vitamin Water. Not quite the real thing on Oxfam’s scorecard, Coke scores higher on policies related to worker’s rights, climate change, transparency and the treatment of women, but is left trailing the top companies due to poor performance on land rights and support for farmers. Learn more about Coke’s score and take action here.

6. Twinings, owned by Associated British Foods

A long-ago job at a café introduced me to the delights of oolong tea, and this classic British tea brand makes one of the best oolongs around. It’s owned by Associated British Foods (ABF), which scores poorly on Oxfam’s scorecard for its policies assessing impact on food producers, communities, and the planet, and does even worse on supporting women and land rights, as well as responding to climate change. They are making progress on transparency and workers’ rights, but, overall, they could try harder. A lot harder.  Explore the issues and ask ABF to do better here.

7. M&M’s, owned by Mars

These tiny, colorful chocolates are so iconic, you don’t even need to see the signature “M” to recognize them pretty much anywhere. Mars, the company behind M&M’s, Snickers, Three Musketeers, and many other candies that graced the Halloweens of my childhood, is neither horrific nor heroic on Oxfam’s scorecard. They score poorly in terms of supporting women and protecting land rights, but fare better when it comes to their policies on transparency and recognizing issues faced by small-scale farmers. Learn more about Mars’ scores and take action here.

8. Dannon, owned by Danone

We are huge yogurt fans in my household, so we buy a lot of Dannon products. The company behind Dannon is actually the similarly-named Danone, which seems to have the yogurt market cornered with brands like Oikos, Stonyfield, Light & Fit, and more. So how does the dairy giant perform on Oxfam’s scorecard? The good news is that Danone’s policies are above average on water and transparency. But the bad news is that it lacks any commitment to supporting women, farmers or land rights. Send Danone a message here and ask them to do better.

9. Old El Paso, owned by General Mills

This brand’s yellow and red logo is a big presence on grocery store shelves; most of us have bought their tacos, salsas, or tortillas at one time or another. The big 10 company behind Old El Paso is actually General Mills, owner of brands ranging from Cheerios to Nature Valley. Oxfam’s Behind the Brands scorecard found that General Mills has a limited understanding on water but no commitment to food producers, land rights, or tackling climate change, and no anti-biofuel advocacy. Learn more and send General Mills a message here.

10. Special K, owned by Kellogg’s

Okay, you probably knew that Special K cereal is owned by Kellogg’s—no secret there. But did you know that Kellogg’s also owns Corn Flakes, Pop-tarts, and tons of other breakfast-y brands (including one of my favorites, Kashi)? Oxfam’s scorecard found that Kellogg’s policies on land rights, worker’s rights, and support for small-scale producers are distinctly lacking in snap, crackle, and pop. It is at least more transparent about its business than some other companies, however. Learn more and send Kellogg’s a message here.

Photo: George Osodi/Panos for Oxfam America

Comfort Adeniyi, a cocoa farmer, on her farm in Ayetoro-Ijesa in southwest Nigeria. In this portrait by photographer George Osodi, Adeniyi holds a long knife used by farmers for cracking open cocoa pods, weeding fields, and other routine tasks.

Adeniyi’s portrait also appears on Oxfam America’s new fact sheet, Women and the big business of chocolate. Ninety percent of the world’s cocoa is grown by 5.5 million smallholder farmers like Adeniyi, many of whom live below the poverty line. In West Africa, where most cocoa comes from, women do nearly half of the labor on cocoa farms but own just a quarter of the land. They have fewer economic opportunities and, as workers, typically earn less than men.

Fortunately, consumers like us can help (and we don’t even have to give up chocolate). Check out Oxfam’s Behind the Brands scorecard to learn what the world’s biggest food companies could be doing to improve their policies. Then join thousands of others and ask companies to give cocoa growers a fair deal.

Photo: Sarah Kalloch/Oxfam America

Yesterday, on the hot, wind-blown sands of Miami Beach, we organized a race. As the inspiring riffs of “Eye of the Tiger” blared from our boombox, I helped set up a race track, cut gossamer, and plant flags. Then Miami-based Oxfam volunteers Ed, Julian, and Alma donned sweatbands, sneakers, tube socks and t-shirts for their sprint down the beach, while Pua and Marli held signs and cheered them on.

Their passionate voices joined thousands of others from the US and around the world who helped Oxfam launch our Behind the Brands scorecard. The scorecard digs deeper into the policies of the world’s 10 biggest food companies on issues from fair pay to women’s rights, and scores them on what they’re doing well—or could be doing better.

Our focus yesterday was on cocoa, the key ingredient in everyone’s favorite candy and a crop grown by millions of small-holder farmers around the world. Just steps away from our race, at the Fontainebleau Hotel, executives from major sweets companies—including Mars, Mondelez, and Nestle, all featured on the scorecard—met for the National Confectioners Association Annual Conference. While their top brass dined on decadent candy treats, our intrepid group staged the “race to the top” right outside as a reminder for food companies to use their incredible power to help end poverty.

Photo: Sarah Kalloch/Oxfam America

Inside the hotel, various top executives spoke at the NCA Conference. They focused on the future of chocolate—from sustainability to health and wellness to taste.

For Oxfam, the future of chocolate has to include farmers. Cocoa doesn’t grow in luxury hotels on Miami Beach—it grows in Ghana, in Ivory Coast, in Ecuador, in Indonesia. And while cocoa does in fact grow on trees, someone has to plant that tree, nurture it, pick the pods and process them; very hard work that cocoa farmers, many of whom are women, do every day.

Sure, as our race ended to the tune of “Chariots of Fire” we may have looked a tiny bit silly. But our goal was serious: to encourage globally known brands like Mars, Mondelez, and Nestle (makers of products like Crunch, Oreos, M&M’s, and more) to put women cocoa producers first. Just as we raced down that beach yesterday, it’s time for the three of them to start a similar sprint to the top of Oxfam’s Behind the Brands scorecard, and use their power to support the communities they source from worldwide.

Photo: Sarah Kalloch/Oxfam America