9781422281208

A selection of chocolate snacks on a store shelf in Toronto. The multinational companies Hershey’s, Mars, and Nestlé have become the largest manufacturers of chocolate snacks in the world. In recent years, advocates have attempted to pressure these companies into pay- ing a fair price to the cocoa and sugar producers from developing countries that provide the main ingredients for their products.

Our collective sweet tooth means big business for the corporate giants that manufacture our favorite candy brands. Mars Inc., maker of Snickers, M&M’s, and many other popular chocolate treats, nets over $18 billion in sales every year. Nestlé SA, another leading chocolate producer, rakes in $10 billion annually. In total, sales from the global chocolate industry top $80 billion a year. But for the farm- ers who produce the world’s supply of cocoa beans—the raw ingredient for chocolate—the deal is not so sweet.

Global Trade, Poverty, and Inequality 9