01/04/2021
Girl Scouts investigated for possible ties to child labor
Girl scout cookies are one of many popular products using palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia – places where kids are often doing the work, according to an Associated Press report. The Girl Scouts said it's a "supply chain" issue. The bakers that actually make the cookies say they're working to source sustainable palm oil. One top Girl Scout cookie seller said she is boycotting cookie sales this year. "Girl Scouts is supposed to be making the world a better place and this isn't at all making the world better," she said
■Class discussion: Would you stop buying girl scout cookies because children are used to produce one of the ingredients? What about all the other products that use palm oil? Would you stop buying electronic goods like cell phones if you found out some parts were made by forced labor? Do you know or care about the well-being of the workers who grow the food you eat or make the products you use? Why or why not? Would you pay more to protect workers? With goods coming from all over the world, how can you know how they are produced?