13 Feb Change the World with Love and Chocolate
“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” ― Charles Schulz
As one of life’s most delicious treats, nothing says “I love you” like a box of chocolates on Valentine’s Day. But the story behind chocolate has a dark secret: the industry is rife with human rights abuses such as exploitative wages and child labor, as has been exposed on the recent episode of Netflix’s Rotten: “Bitter Chocolate.”
“The whole earnings model of a chocolate company is farmer poverty, full stop,” says Antoine Fountain, an activist working to address inequality in the global cocoa supply chain interviewed on the show.
Does this mean you should forego your chocolate indulgence? Not at all. Many Fair Trade chocolate brands are taking a step in the right direction to ensure that farmers are paid fair prices for their chocolate.
Some companies – most of them certified B-Corps – are taking it even further, making it their central mission to empower cocoa farmers through “direct trade” and other strategies to transform the industry. You can support them simply by purchasing their chocolate for your loved ones this Valentine’s Day, or any day!
Tony’s Chocolonely – Touted as a “sweet Solution to chocolate’s bitter truth,” Tony began as a “lonely” Dutch activist turned chocolatier who is committed to creating a 100% slave free chocolate industry. He describes the problem this way: a handful of giant chocolate companies profit from keeping the cocoa purchasing price as low as possible. As a result, farmers are forced to live in poverty, leading to child labor and slavery. His solution? Industry-wide higher wages for farmers, long-term purchasing commitments to farmers, and other impactful strategies to improve conditions in the communities.
Beyond Good Chocolate – Founded by two former Peace Corps volunteers who served in Madagascar and are passionate about direct trade with farmers, creating jobs, building wealth for the local economy, and expanding the habitat for critically endangered lemurs. To accomplish all this they built a premiere chocolate processing facility in Madagascar. Their organic, heirloom cocoa is fruity and flavorful, and they also sell fragrant Bourbon vanilla extract for your homemade treats.
Divine Chocolate is one of the only chocolate companies that includes cocoa farmers as shareholders in the company, allowing farmers in Ghana to benefit from profits and have a voice in how their chocolate is produced and sold. They also prioritize gender equality and invest in building better communities.
Alter Eco – By directly sourcing all of their chocolate from small-scale, farmer-owned cooperatives in Boliva, Ecuador, India, Peru, and Sri Lanka, this chocolate brand guarantees that all of the chocolate is certified Fair Trade, non-GMO and organic. And they are the only chocolate maker on this list that makes chocolate truffles in addition to chocolate bars. Check out their flavors like salted caramel or mint creme.
Le Chocolatier Ivoirien – The Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire) leads the world in production and export of cocoa beans, supplying 40% of cocoa produced in the world. However, the vast majority of the beans are exported for processing elsewhere…until now. As one of the premier chocolate factories in the Ivory Coast, this chocolatier both grows and processes their bars in country to best benefit the local economy.
Kuli Kuli – On a health kick? No worries, you can still enjoy your ethical chocolate fix with Kuli Kuli’s low-sugar SuperBark. In addition to their mission to to drive sustainable economic growth and nutritional security, their chocolate is packed with superfoods such as chia, quinoa, and moringa, and natural sweeteners erythritol and stevia, this chocolate will both nourish and delight you.
Looking for other ways to change the world? For international and unique one day volunteer opportunities, visit Give a Day Global’s volunteer page.
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