We all LOVE CHOCOLATE. But before you decide to eat your weight in it this Easter, there’s something very important you should know…
Only 3 percent of the world’s global chocolate supply is ethically certified to have been harvested without the use of forced, child, and trafficked labour.
It’s enough to leave a really bad taste in your mouth. Before you give yourself permission to indulge, there are a few important things to consider so you can make an informed choice about what type of chocolate industry you are supporting.
Ironically, Easter symbolises the celebration of life. Yet while your kids are happily munching on their chocolate bunnies, kids the same age along the west coast of Africa are being exploited for them. To reduce production cost of chocolate ( for this $70 billion dollar a year industry) they are forced into slave labour, work long hours, are badly beaten and exposed to dangerous pesticides. They do not go to school. They have no choices. They have no rights. For the majority of workers, they live on less than $2 a day.
YOUR FANCY CHOCOLATE? MAYBE NOT SO FANCY
In ancient times, Chocolate was considered a currency – more valuable than gold. The true chocolate aficiondos – the Mayans – treasured Cacao as a restorative, mood enhancing cure all. And certainly you may think the same of yours.
But the chocolates made back then, are a far cry from the chocolate bars of today. Times have changed, big business is greedy. So what are you really paying for?
Whilst posh sounding names and wrapping may convince you to spend more money, they’re often just as bad as your mainstream brand. Instead of keeping the essential components, the big names we’ve grown up with such as Nestle, Lindt, Cadburys and Mars are all cutting corners, and switching to less expensive ingredients. As an example, things that keep real chocolate REAL – such as Cocoa Butter (famous for giving chocolate its creamy, melt-in-your-mouth texture) are now being replaced with cheap and nasty vegetable oils, alongside chemicals, GMO ingredients and Soy lechitin fillers. The Mayans must be turning in their graves.
Many of these same companies also drive down the price of cacao leading to the slavery of children
NOTHING SWEET ABOUT COMPROMISING OUR HEALTH OR THE PLANET
Not only are cheap fillers and gmo ingredients the senseless destruction of rainforest in Borneo and near extinction of the Orangutan. Every day, acres of rainforest are destroyed to make room for unsustainable Palm Oil plantations, due to consumer demand for the products we use everyday. Chocolate being just one of them.
WHAT CAN YOU DO? Be FAIR when you say Yes to chocolate
BUY FAIRTRADE
Right now, Fair Trade makes up less than 3% of the worlds chocolate market. A measely 3 percent!!!!
But we can do better.
The more we demand as conscious consumers, the bigger a difference we will make. It all comes down to voting with your dollar. Choosing to buy Fairtrade (look for the logo) ensures that chocolate meets international Fairtrade Standards. It gives you a chance to empower communities, indirectly guaranteeing farmers a minimum price so that they can support their families, prohibit abusive child/forced labour and promote environmental sustainability. How awesome is that!?!
Here’s a list of Fairtrade Certified Chocolate and stockists in Australia.
- For Easter, choose to buy Fairtrade Easter Eggs. Try Oxfam and local stores first (such as health food and eco friendly retailers)
- Demand that your local stores and supermarkets stock Fairtrade chocolate.
- Call Big Chocolate Companies out and urge them to buy only Fairtrade cocoa
CHOOSE SUSTAINABLE INGREDIENTS – For the sake of your health and the environment.
And pressure the companies that don’t. Unfortunately deciphering ingredients like Palm Oil and Vegetable Oils (and where they’re sourced) can be difficult due to sneaky labelling laws, but consumers are getting smarter, and awareness is growing. If you can’t tell, don’t be afraid to ask questions. The more people who ask the more visible it will become, and the more things will change.
Choosing Palm Oil Free Alternatives
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