It’s hard to imagine for some how our spending habits affect others in the world on a typical shopping day. If you buy organic or fresh produce at a local farm stand or belong to a CSA to support your local economy you understand economics 101. But not all your needs are met by your local farms, if you are fortunate to have any in your area. Simply put, Fair Trade is the global answer to your local farm stand. However, it’s much more than that.
Cocoa before harvest
The Certified Fair Trade label on chocolate and other products, such as coffee, tea, sugar, vanilla and even flowers, guarantees consumers that the farmers who grew the crops are 1) paid a fair price for their harvest; 2) members of democratically organized cooperatives; and 3) have access to affordable credit. The Fair Trade price allows farmers to cover their costs of production as well as afford a decent standard of living for their families, send their children to school and invest in the quality of their farms. The Fair Trade label also guarantees environmentally friendly foods that are 85% certified organic and have the highest quality in flavor and nutritional value.
Keep in mind that organic certification is an expense to small farmers. A lot of traditionally farmed cacao is produced ‘organically’ by default since farmers are not able to afford pesticides. Neither can they afford the expense of certification to meet Western organic standards.
Free Trade is not so free! There is a dark side to the conventional economic system, where millions of people around the world are not being valued. Many people work in inhumane conditions and receive less than a livable wage and many are forced to work for no wages at all, especially children. Sadly, nearly half of the world’s chocolate is made from cocoa grown in the Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast in West Africa), where over 12,000 children have been trafficked into forced labor.
Fair Trade offers farmers and workers in the tropical belt a fair wage; our consumer dollar is distributed more justly. “By advocating for a fair trade economic system, we cannot only better respect the human dignity of smaller-scale producers, but we can act in solidarity with those around the world in need. We can ensure that those making our chocolate, coffee, sugar, etc. are receiving just compensation, and that our system of profit making doesn’t supersede the worth of a human being.”
Madécasse from Madagascar-Full bodied Organic in 63%-75%. Click here to buy
Fair Trade farmers that work with the Ethical Chocolatiers that I endorse, make all the chocolate that is offered at Exotic Chocolate Tasting. Not only are they the best chocolates in so many ways, they are the purest with no additives, preservatives and are full of anti-oxidants. For instance, Madecasse, a Brooklyn, NY born Artisan Chocolatier, produce and partner with the farmers in Madagascar, Africa to create their special chocolates. Equal Exchange, another principled company in MA, campaigns, “Small Farmers. Big Change: Creating a Green and More Just Food System,” represents a path to bringing justice to the food system and health to the planet to bring us chocolate and other foods.
Click here for 70% Madagascar Chocolate…
Not all Ethical Chocolatiers display the Fair Trade emblem, many partner directly with the farmers and have developed cooperatives of their own. They proudly display their own path on their labels. The next time you reach for a chocolate bar on a store shelf, be aware how it got there and do your part for mankind. If Fair Trade is not available locally, ask your grocer or buy chocolates online. Eat Fair Trade Chocolate, save a life.
Resource: Stop Chocolate Slavery
Resources: Guide to buying Ethical Chocolates
Resources: World Cocoa Foundation
Resources: National Wildlife Federation-How sustainable chocolate helps the rain forest and Migratory Birds
Resources: The Global Poverty Project
Resources: Catholic Relief Services FairTrade
Resources: Slaves to Chocolate
Resources: How chocolate can save the planet
Look for this label when buying Chocolate
