The Not-So-Sweet History of Chocolate Explained

In an unsettling Ted-Ed video, Deanna L. Pucciarelli, Associate Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics at Ball State University explains through a narrated animation the not-so-sweet history of the beloved candy and how many of these atrocities still exist today.

Yet along with the growth of the industry, there have been horrific abuses of human rights. Many of the plantations throughout West Africa, which supply Western companies, use slave and child labor, with an estimation of more than 2 million children affected. This is a complex problem that persists despite efforts from major chocolate companies to partner with African nations to reduce child and indentured labor practices.