A German documentary recently
investigated manufacturing conditions in the supply chain for confectionary company Haribo. Unfortunately for candy lovers, the documentary findings were quite disturbing.
In order to make its beloved gummy candies, Haribo sources carnauba wax and animal gelatin in Brazil, relying on slave labor and animal cruelty in the process. Please sign this petition demanding that Haribo commit to paying workers fairly and switch to vegan gelatin now.According to the report, plantation workers who cut down carnauba wax tree branches to give the gummies their glossy sheen earn just $12 a day. Some of these workers are minors. They are forced to sleep outside or in trucks after already being overworked. The only water they have access to is unfiltered water from nearby streams, and toilet access is frequently denied.
The documentary also exposed cruel conditions for the pigs on farms where Haribo's gelatin is produced. Pigs in the documentary can be seen covered in open sores and their own feces. Rotting corpses of pigs who die remain in the open pen, further endangering the pigs.
Haribo has said that it is committed to auditing its supply chain, remaining transparent with the public about its findings, and discontinue working with any suppliers where slave labor or animal cruelty are found.
That's a good start, but we're calling on Haribo to go the extra mile to ensure that its candy production process is completely rid of slave labor and animal cruelty. Please sign this petition demanding that Haribo 1) ensures all workers in its supply chain are paid fairly, and 2) switch to using vegan gelatin immediately.
Photo credit:
Janko Hoener / Flickr