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Slavery officially ended in 1865, but the world has never fully escaped the dark reality of forced labor. In fact, one part of that statement is misleading. While the African Slave Trade was abolished in 1865, modern slavery continues to grow—and it is more pervasive today than ever before.
Current estimates indicate that over 40 million people are caught in some form of slavery. While both men and women are victims, children are disproportionately affected. Their innocence and futures are often cruelly stripped away.
The reach of modern slavery is so vast that almost everyone benefits from it, knowingly or unknowingly. Although slavery historically conjures images of the 1800s, today's reality is much different. It's a widespread issue, touching many lives, and is often hidden behind the everyday products and services we consume.
10. Seafood
In the United States and many other western nations, seafood from around the world is widely enjoyed. However, the individuals responsible for catching this seafood aren't always doing so willingly or for fair wages. Many desperate workers answer ads promising high pay and great benefits for fishing boat jobs. While these offers seem too good to be true, some fall into a trap, ultimately becoming victims of modern-day indentured servitude. A 2012 Bloomberg article titled, 'Slaves Put Squid on Dining Tables From South Pacific,' exposed the disturbing process by which people find themselves trapped in such a situation.
The demand for seafood slavery is fueled by growing appetites for seafood in the United States and other western nations. Since the mid-1990s, the pressure on the fishing industry has increased, with global fish stocks dwindling, but the demand has only grown. This drives down prices, which often leads to the exploitation of labor. Workers on these vessels face dangerous, life-threatening conditions, worsened by their isolation on the high seas. Unfortunately, slavery doesn't end on the boats. Many people are also forced to work without pay in seafood processing plants and throughout the aquaculture industry.
What You Can Do—To help combat global seafood slavery, it's crucial to make sure the seafood you buy comes from a trusted source. Do your research on where your seafood is coming from, and avoid purchasing from companies that may be sourcing their catch from questionable places.
9. Cannabis
Like many other illegal drugs, marijuana production is entangled with slavery. Despite its growing popularity and legalization in many areas, the United Kingdom's cannabis industry still has an estimated 10,000 to 13,000 victims trapped in forced labor. Many of these victims are children brought into the industry from countries such as China and Vietnam. One trafficked 16-year-old shared his harrowing experience, recalling how the man who took him said, 'I remember asking the man who took me there if I could leave because I didn’t like it, but he threatened to beat me or starve me to death.'
Children are used in the industry, in part, because they are easily convinced that their families will be killed if they don’t do what they’re told. Most live in squalid conditions, and they are denied basic human rights, including an education. Many of the children enslaved in this way are kept from the public, but some are forced to work outdoors where people drive by without suspecting anything is wrong. One of the biggest problems is, if a child is caught up in a drug bust, they can be charged with committing a crime, which is exactly what happened to the sixteen-year-old victim quoted previously. “The police charged me with drug offenses, and I was sentenced to 18 months in a young offenders’ institute.”
What You Can Do—There will always be a market for slaves where a demand for illegal drugs exists. If you live in a place where cannabis is illegal, don’t buy it. Doing so keeps the demand in place, keeping slavery alive. Alternatively, you can lobby your government to decriminalize marijuana, as many states in the US have done.
8. Fashion
One of the biggest abusers of modern slavery across the globe is the garment industry. Throughout much of Asia and Africa, people are forced into slave labor to provide the world with cheap, easy, and abundant fashion garments and accessories. Because fashion is one of the most labor-intensive industries around, a relatively small, yet skilled amount of people are forced to work long hours to produce huge quantities of products. The countries that make up the G20 imported $127.7 billion in fashion garments the Global Slavery Index identified as being “at-risk” of production from slave labor.
The people who are working to make the rest of the world look trendy are often subject to little or no pay, forced unpaid overtime, dangerous conditions, and a degraded economy due to an inability to compete. One of the biggest problems with the industry is overproduction. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimated that the fashion industry produces around 53 million tons of fiber each year, but 70% of that ends up in landfills. Overconsumption leads to overproduction, and that increases the risk and use of slavery, which means most everyone reading this has benefited from it at least once in their lives without ever realizing it.
What You Can Do—There are several steps individuals can take to help reduce the exploitation of slave labor in the fashion industry. One way is to simply wear what you already own and avoid purchasing new items unless absolutely necessary. This also helps with budgeting. Research where your clothing is made and how it’s produced. If a brand is suspected of using slave labor, choose not to support them and instead opt for ethical brands that ensure their workers receive fair wages.
7. Firefighting
When the United States abolished slavery with the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, an exception was made for prisoners. The amendment includes the phrase, 'Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted…' This means that individuals can be forced into labor, often referred to as 'prison labor,' and the government has been exploiting this clause for over 150 years. While prisoners are given work assignments, they are typically paid meager wages, often just pennies an hour. While some believe prisoners should forfeit certain rights due to their crimes, others advocate for their basic human rights to be respected.
One of the primary ways millions benefit from this type of labor is through California’s annual wildfires. Inmates who volunteer to fight these fires are paid just $1 an hour, with an additional $2 per day. Though they technically volunteer and receive some compensation, the hazardous conditions and insufficient pay still resemble slave labor. 'Today, more than 2,000 volunteer inmate firefighters, including 58 youth offenders, are battling wildfire flames throughout CA. Inmate firefighters serve a vital role, clearing thick brush down to bare soil to stop the fire’s spread.'
What You Can Do—While it’s important for everyone to practice fire safety, there are a few steps you can take to make a difference. Volunteer with your local fire department, which won’t end prison labor in firefighting, but it will support the individuals who fight fires and reduce the dependency on prison labor. You can also petition the California government to end penal labor, especially in hazardous situations like firefighting.
6. Batteries
The battery in your phone or electric car may have unknowingly contributed to lining the pockets of slave traffickers, and the issue is only worsening as demand for lithium and cobalt continues to rise. Batteries, which many of us consider a simple modern convenience, are heavily reliant on the mining of vast quantities of lithium and cobalt, with the demand expected to double by 2024. Mining is dangerous and difficult work, and the extraction of these two elements, specifically for battery production, frequently involves child labor. This practice undermines local land and water rights, severely damaging the environment and leading to widespread disease and malnutrition among indigenous populations.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo alone, it is estimated that 40,000 children are forced into slave labor to mine cobalt. Not only are these children often underpaid or completely unpaid, but the conditions in the mines are horrific, amounting to gross human rights violations. Children as young as six have been found working in the mines without proper safety equipment, exposing them to toxic dust and hazardous environments.
What You Can Do—Unfortunately, it’s nearly impossible to tell if your battery contains cobalt or lithium that has been sourced through slave labor. The best approach to combat this ongoing issue is to raise awareness among major electronic manufacturers, urging them to ensure their products do not contain materials from known or suspected slave labor sources. For further information, you can reach out to organizations such as Amnesty International.
5. Diamonds
Diamonds are one of the most heavily trafficked gemstones in the world, and because they come from locations often embroiled in a civil war, some diamonds have been labeled as “conflict” or “blood diamonds.” The term has become popular in the 21st century to specifically refer to diamonds mined in Angola, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, and Guinea Bissau, all of which have had horribly catastrophic civil wars in recent years. The mining of diamonds in these areas often goes to fund an ongoing insurgency, hence the name, but the conflicts aren’t the only thing that makes these diamonds a problem. Many of the indigenous people caught up in the region are forced to mine the diamonds as slaves, which make the gems particularly problematic.
Many of the enslaved people forced to collect diamonds are children, and the ones who aren’t sent to the mines are often sent to war. This has been especially problematic in Sierra Leone, which has been second-to-last on the UN Human Development Index. Of course, that’s not the only example, as thousands have been enslaved and killed in Zimbabwe and elsewhere, even when there is no conflict present.
What You Can Do—Never buy a diamond sourced from the countries listed, and ask where your jeweler sources their diamonds before making any purchases. Fortunately, there are plenty of sources that use legitimate labor, but if you’re still unsure, look into another gemstone, cubic zirconia, or a manufactured diamond.
4. Coffee
Coffee has long been a staple of the modern world, and many people can’t imagine going a single day without their beloved cup of Joe. Sadly, it’s due to the massive demand for coffee that a rise in production has pushed many in South America into slave labor. If you think there’s no way that the coffee you buy has been sourced from slave labor, you’re probably right, but not always. In September 2018, it was determined that a Brazilian coffee plantation previously certified to be slave-free by Starbucks, was found to have 15 enslaved people trapped in conditions analogous to modern slavery.
One of the most troubling realities in the coffee industry is the widespread exploitation of children. In Brazil, coffee workers receive only a small fraction—just 2%—of the retail price of the coffee they produce. To make ends meet, many have resorted to pulling their children out of school and putting them to work on coffee plantations. This practice creates a vicious cycle, as these children often miss out on education, leading them to face the same financial hardships and lack of opportunities that their parents once struggled with.
What You Can Do—Before purchasing coffee, make an effort to learn about its origins. As demonstrated by the situation in Brazil, many plantations are guilty of forced labor practices. Don’t hesitate to research where your coffee comes from and ask the right questions to ensure you’re supporting ethical and fair trade producers.
3. The Adult Industry
We’re not suggesting that readers engage in or support prostitution, but there is a serious issue in the adult content industry, which includes online videos, magazines, and more. This sector, one of the largest global industries, is deeply entwined with human trafficking, a prevalent and disturbing form of modern-day slavery. Victims range from men and women to children, and as of 2010, it was estimated that as many as 4.5 million people were trapped in sexual slavery—a number that continues to rise.
Innocuous advertisements for activities like cam shows or “party lines” can often hide a grim reality. Behind these promotions, some individuals featured have been coerced into appearing, and many of the performers are not there voluntarily. Vulnerable individuals, particularly young runaways, are especially at risk. These individuals are targeted by traffickers who force them into performing against their will, often enduring horrific conditions and being exploited multiple times a day.
What You Can Do—Across the globe, there are organizations dedicated to ending the exploitation of individuals in the online adult industry. While it’s often difficult for an individual to identify these crimes on their own, you can reach out to nonprofits or government agencies for assistance in ensuring that the content you view is not tied to human trafficking.
If you suspect someone may be a victim of forced labor, the most important step you can take is to notify the authorities. They are equipped to investigate and provide the necessary help to those being exploited.
2. Chocolate
Unfortunately, one of the world’s most beloved treats is often tainted by child labor and forced work. In countries like Brazil, Cameroon, Ghana, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, and Nigeria, the cocoa industry relies heavily on the exploitation of children. In Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana alone, around 2.3 million children are toiling away in cocoa fields, many of them coerced into labor without pay, leading to a cycle of poverty. Major companies such as Nestlé, Hershey, Cargill, ADM, and Barry Callebaut all acknowledged their role in this issue back in 2002, but the problem continues to persist.
Cocoa farmers in Western Africa earn, on average, just $2 per day—barely enough to support their families. Like those trapped in the seafood industry, many are deceived by traffickers and subjected to inhumane conditions with little hope of escape. As cocoa remains a key export for several struggling African nations, the demand for cheap and unpaid labor only continues to grow.
What You Can Do—As with any product on this list, it’s essential to do your due diligence before buying cocoa that seems suspicious. Many of the major brands have taken steps to limit sourcing from regions that rely on slave labor, but there’s always room for improvement. If you’re concerned, take the time to research and stay informed about the origins of your purchases.
1. Gold
Gold has been a crucial commodity for humanity for centuries, and like any valuable resource, it is often subject to the pressures that drive the exploitation of labor. Gold slavery has become a significant issue, particularly as gold mining operations have shifted to some of the world’s poorest regions. This often leads to lax regulations, poor working conditions, a lack of child labor protections, and widespread human rights violations. Gold slavery is one of the most pervasive forms of exploitation, with instances found in countries such as North Korea, and widespread across Africa, South America, and Asia.
All around the world, thousands of workers toil in mines extracting tiny amounts of gold, often in dangerous and grueling conditions. This labor frequently takes the form of indentured servitude. Workers must pay for their own tools, and all the gold they extract goes toward this debt, but the system is intentionally designed to ensure they will never pay it off, trapping them in a cycle of slavery. Others are trafficked into gold mining, where they are paid only in food and forced to work off an initial debt by producing up to nine grams of gold per week for months on end—if they are fortunate enough to be released. Gold mining isn’t just for jewelry—it’s also used in electronics, which means that the device you’re reading this on may contain gold mined by slaves.
What You Can Do—It’s tough to determine whether your electronics contain gold from slave labor, but there are steps you can take to make sure. As you would with diamonds, ask jewelers about the origin of their gold and ensure that your purchases are based on well-informed decisions.
