The bitter song of the hazelnut

The bitter song of the hazelnut

Every August tens of thousands of Kurdish migrant workers, including children, toil long hours for a pittance in the mountains of northern Turkey picking hazelnuts for the spreads and chocolate bars the world adores. Turkey provides 70% of all hazelnut supplies – and the biggest buyer is Ferrero, maker of Nutella and Kinder Bueno. The confectionery giant says it’s committed to ethical sourcing, and aiming for its hazelnuts to be 100% traceable next year. But how is that possible in Turkey, with its half a million tiny family orchards, where child labour is rife? Tim Whewell investigates Ferrero’s complex supply chain and finds that while hazelnuts are celebrated in Turkish culture and song, it’s a sector where workers and farmers feel increasingly unhappy and reform is very hard to achieve.

(Image: Hazelnut picker on Turkey’s Black Sea coast. Credit: Reyan Tuvi)

Jaksot(2000)

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Shepherd's Eye In The Sky

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On Christmas Day 2025, the US carried out missile strikes on suspected Islamist militants in Nigeria. They came after President Trump said he would intervene to protect Christians amid controversial c...

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Mrinalini Mukherjee: Hemp sculptures

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US foreign policy in five doctrines

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Protest in the age of the 'Kill Switch'

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