# Chocolate Slavery Felix Von Der Weppen Sheds Light on the Dark Side of Chocolate By Meghan Young | Published 2010-02-17 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/felix-von-der-weppen References: [behance.net](https://www.behance.net/Gallery/Chocolate-Slavery/401720) & [felixvonderweppen](http://felixvonderweppen.com) Until stumbling upon Felix von der Weppen’s ‘Chocolate Slavery’ portfolio and the serious and tragic topic is sheds light on, I never knew that this issue even existed. In a way, I’m horrified because of the chocolate addiction I actually have. According to Felix von der Weppen, [chocolate slavery](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cocoa-cooperatives) is predominant in Cote d’Ivoire, Africa. Under inhumane conditions, young boys are sold into slavery to [cocoa farmers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/beyond-good-microbatch-collection). For more insight into this issue, the links below where the artist discusses this issue in more detail. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 0.9/10 - Popularity: 14% | Activity: 5% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Food](https://www.trendhunter.com/food) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Chocolate Slave-free Movement:** Opportunities for companies to take a stand and promote the production of chocolate produced without slavery in its supply chain. - **Consumer Awareness Campaigns:** Growing demand for transparency in the food industry and the ethical sourcing of ingredients that meets consumer expectations. - **Alternative Sourcing Systems:** Increasing adoption of technological and ethical systems for tracking cocoa supply chains to improve transparency and verifiability. ### Where This Applies - **Chocolate Production:** The chocolate industry can capitalize on the growing demand for transparency and ethical sourcing through new production methods and initiatives such as the Chocolate Slave-Free Movement. - **Fair Trade:** The fair trade industry, which advocates for ethical working conditions and sustainable economic practices, is in a position to address the issue of chocolate slavery and promote alternatives through its certification programs. - **Technology:** Technology can play a role in tracking and verifying chocolate supply chains, creating solutions that can help to mitigate the problem of slavery in the industry. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Cocoa-Free Chocolate Alternatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/win-win-cocoa-free-chocolate.md) - [Fair Trade Chocolate Bites](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/littl-bits.md) - [Sustainable Alt Chocolates](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/seminal-biosciences.md) - [Ethically Sourced Chocolate Treats](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tonys-chocolonelys-and-ben-jerrys.md) - [Fair Wage-Supporting V-Day Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cocoamitment-campaign.md) - [Wrestler-Themed Chocolate Commercials](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tonys-chocolonely-advertisement.md) - [Unfair Advent Calendars](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tonys-chocolonely-countdown-calendar.md) - [Social Good Chocolate Products](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kabalagala-clusters.md) - [Heirloom Cocoa Bean Chocolates](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/beyond-good-microbatch-collection.md)