Freedom Shouldn’t Be a Luxury Ingredient
As supermarket shelves fill with eggs and bunnies, we’re reminded of where it all began. STOP THE TRAFFIK was launched as a bold coalition campaign in 2006, calling time on the hidden trafficking in our everyday lives, starting with one of the world’s most beloved, and most problematic, industries: chocolate.

STOP THE TRAFFIK was born out of a single question: 
How can we stop human trafficking before it starts?

Originally set to last two years, STOP THE TRAFFIK was created by Steve Chalke and a small team, including our former CEO and now President, Ruth Dearnley OBE, to mark the 200th anniversary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act. But what began as a time-limited campaign quickly became a movement, one that continues to disrupt the systems enabling modern slavery today. 

On 25 March 2007, Freedom Day, we launched a global petition, created films, rallied communities, and kickstarted the now-famous Chocolate Campaign. It wasn’t about guilt, it was about power - the power consumers hold to demand better. 

We focused on Côte d’Ivoire, where over a third of the world’s cocoa originates, and where children like Diabate and Traoré were trafficked from Mali, locked in huts, and forced to work without pay. 

Their story was not unique — it represented thousands of children whose lives were reduced to hard labour and fear. 

With no media budget, we relied on posters, school leaflets, churches, and community groups to amplify the message. The campaign gained momentum with a striking visual campaign, created by Leagas Delaney, informing the public to think about their chocolate purchase. 

Thanks to persistent campaigning, global chocolate giants began to respond: 

• Cadbury: committed to Fairtrade Dairy Milk in the UK & Ireland 

• Mars: pledged a trafficking-free Galaxy bar 

• Nestlé, Swiss Noir & Verkade: moved toward certified cocoa sources 

This work didn’t stop at chocolate. It laid the foundations for future campaigns tackling tea, cotton, fashion, and financial systems complicit in trafficking. 

What’s Still True Today

Despite the rise of ethical certifications, exploitation remains deeply embedded in the supply chains of many of the world’s best-selling chocolate bars. Today, countless organisations are still campaigning to improve conditions for the vast number of children working in cocoa production - many of whom face hazardous environments, exposure to sharp tools and harmful pesticides, and long hours with little or no pay.

STOP THE TRAFFIK evolved from grassroots movement to globally recognised organisation — pioneering data-led, intelligence-driven prevention strategies, and partnering with the UN, IBM, and communities around the world. 

We’ve: 

• Built the Traffik Analysis Hub, a world-first data-sharing platform to prevent human trafficking, used by NGOs, law enforcement and businesses 

• Partnered with IBM, UN agencies, and corporate networks to identify trafficking hotspots 

• Led public awareness campaigns seen by millions, in over 40 countries 

• Helped pass laws, shift industry practice, and empower survivors to lead change 

We didn’t just ask people to care — we built tools to help them act. 

✊ Keep the Fight Alive 

This Easter, take a moment to look beyond the foil. 
Help us keep fighting for a world where no child is trafficked for chocolate. 

Together, we can build a future where no one is bought or sold.
STOP THE TRAFFIK. Start the change.