Candy and chocolate sales in the US are huge around Halloween. Unfortunately the majority of chocolate sold is not Fair Trade and involves child trafficking and the use of forced child labor in developing countries...
Fair Trade companies like Equal Exchange, SERRV, Unreal Candy (see links below), as well as local Trader Joe's and Whole Foods now offer Fair Trade chocolate for Halloween that prohibits the use of forced child labor. It may cost more than non-Fair Trade chocolate and candy available at stores like Target and Walmart but you will be sending the industry a message that forced child labor in chocolate production is unacceptable.
As consumers we have a responsibility to ask questions. As Catholics we have a moral duty to demand answers and take action in defense of the poor and exploited. We can use our economic power as consumers to bring about change and insist that trade is conducted fairly with stronger protection for the fundamental rights of workers and their families in developing countries.
Make a commitment that all your Halloweens will be FAIR TRADE.
