Focus on Chocolate, Part Three: What To Eat

It is rewarding for me to have heard from many of you who were touched by my original post about chocolate production and the industry's ties to child slavery in West Africa. I know that it can be shocking and upsetting to hear about abuses like these, and to become aware that our own actions have been contributing to the problem without our knowledge. To those of you who have allowed yourselves to accept this difficult reality, and have made a commitment to become part of the solution, thank you for your courage and open mindedness.

In an effort to support your progress towards a life composed of kinder daily choices, I have put together a list of some of my favorite fair trade chocolates, along with information about where they can be purchased. Please feel free to add any that I may have overlooked in the comments.

Divine Chocolates is the only fair trade chocolate company that is 45% owned by the cocoa farmers themselves. The fair trade designation ensures that farmers receive a better deal for their cocoa, and company ownership gives them a share of Divine's profits and a stronger voice in the industry. You can buy Divine online or see if it's carried in a store near you.

Equal Exchange Chocolates seem to be a favorite among fair trade chocolate aficionados. I recently bought a box of their minis (the size of the Hershey's minis you probably remember from childhood Halloweens) for my son's birthday pinata and they were a hit with kids and adults alike. Equal Exchange also makes baking cocoa (that's what I use for brownies and chocolate cake) and drinking cocoa. You can buy EE chocolate products online; I couldn't find a searchable database on the site of retail locations but it is carried by my local natural foods Co-op.

Theo Chocolate is the only organic, fair trade, bean-to-bar chocolate factory in the United States. It's made in Seattle, Washington, and I'm feeling tempted to take a trip up there just to experience their factory tour! :-) I have one of their Spicy Chile bars waiting in my cupboard to be tasted, and I'm also lusting after their Peppermint Stick bar, which sadly seems to be out of stock at the moment... You can buy Theo chocolate online or see if it's carried in a store near you.

Green & Black's Organic Chocolates have just become 100% fair trade certified. I am somewhat obsessed with their Maya Gold bar. They also make a white chocolate bar (sadly for me, not vegan) and a baking chocolate bar. I don't see an online shop on their website, but you can always see if it's carried in a store near you.

Sweet Earth Chocolates is one brand I haven't tried yet, but hope to soon! They have an amazing variety, ranging from the expected bars and cups to things like bulk chocolate chips, melting chocolate (suitable for fondue and chocolate fountains!), peppermint bark, and crazy-good cocoa mix flavors like chai cocoa and peppermint cocoa. They even have a Haiti relief bar where $1.00 from the purchase of each bar goes to Partners In Health. I'm telling you - you will be amazed by this selection - check it out!

Speaking of chocolate chips... I know they are a staple in our house, and perhaps in yours as well? Our local natural foods stores carry Sunspire chocolate chips, so that's what I use, and I'm very happy with them. If you can't find them locally, you can buy them online, along with a wide variety of other chocolate confections. It looks like not all of Sunspire's products have fair trade certification (though the chocolate chips I buy do), but they seem to be making a good effort in this regard, which you can read more about here.

Sjaak's Organic Chocolates are actually made right here where I live in Northern California. I am fortunate to be able to shop at their charming little storefront in Old Town, Eureka, but when I recently discovered their website, I was amazed by the number of vegan and fair trade options that are available beyond what I've seen in the local stores.

Their entire line is not fair trade (so check the item titles/descriptions carefully when shopping their website), but all of the following options are fair trade, and I can recommend each enthusiastically!

• Chocolate plus caramel - a quintessential favorite!
• And my personal favorite combination - chocolate and peanut butter (a good replacement if you're a former Reese's Peanut Butter cup eater).
  
• If minty chocolates are your cup of tea, try Sjaaks Mint Mills.
• For the purists among us, simple dark chocolate bites.
• A go-to Christmas gift in our household is Sjaak's truffle assortment (pictured above).
  
• Most of the items above are also available here individually and in a larger tub.

Whew! That's a whole lot of chocolate! Enjoy exploring the many varieties of fair trade chocolate available to you, and if you find something you love, be sure to tell me about it!

Focus on Chocolate, Part Two: Chocolate Scorecard

Since surfacing in the mainstream media nearly ten years ago, the problem of trafficked child labor in West African cocoa plantations has received a decent amount of public attention, which put pressure on chocolate companies to make reforms. The major chocolate companies have all paid great lip service, promising to make improvements, but not all have delivered on their promises.

In a 2009 update, the International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF) reported on which companies have made good on their assurances and which ones have not. I've summarized their findings below (and added contact links so you can let these companies know how you feel!); you can also read the full report, which includes a narrative of each company's status.

The Bitter
These companies continue to drag their feet when it comes to making the necessary reforms that would eliminate child slavery from their supply chain.

• Hershey (which owns Scharffen Berger and Dagoba Chocolate) {contact}
  
• M&M/Mars (which owns Dove) {contact}
• Nestle (which owns Haagen-Dazs) {contact}

The Bitter-Sweet
These companies have made some strides towards meaningful reform, but still have a ways to go.

• Godiva {contact}
• Ghiradelli/Lindt {contact}
• Starbucks {contact}
• Dagoba {contact}
• Endangered Species Chocolate {contact}

The Sweetest!
These companies are the most committed to making positive change for cocoa farmers worldwide and deserve our business and support!

• Sweet Earth Chocolates {contact} {shop}
  
• Divine Chocolates {contact} {shop}
• Equal Exchange {contact} {shop}