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Loading...Fair Trade Chocolate: A Myth?
- Alisa Rutherford-Fortunati
- February 1, 2012
- 1:30 pm
- 433 comments
As February begins, red hearts and sappy cards crowd the shelves. But the question on my mind, as well as on the minds of many other conscious consumers is not which glittery red gift to purchase, but the difference this holiday could make if people chose to purchase ethically-sourced chocolate.
Nowadays, most stores have a “health food” or “organic” section, but thinking you can simply pick up the first chocolate bar marked “fair-trade,” and walk away with a clean conscience, isn’t the case.
For products like bananas and tea, fair trade is mostly a question of insuring that small farmers get a fair price for their products, but when it comes to cocoa the issues are even more serious.
Slavery, child labor, kidnapping, injuries from unsafe working conditions, beatings and, at its worst, murder, are all in the mix. Knowing where your sweet treats come from means going beyond symbolic certifications.
Some Surprising Fair Trade Facts:
- There is not a universally accepted definition of what “fair trade” means.
- There are a number of different organizations that are allowed to certify items as “fair trade” each with their own process and level of oversight.
- Becoming certified as “fair trade” can be a costly process that some small growers are unable to afford.
- Because of the difficulty in policing farming practices, items marked as “fair trade” may still contain cocoa that was produced using slave and child labor or under unsafe working conditions with inadequate or no pay.
In theory:
“Fair trade is a trading partnership… that seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers… Fair trade organizations, backed by consumers, are engaged actively in supporting producers, awareness raising and in campaigning for changes in the rules and practice of conventional international trade” – Fairtrade Labeling Organizations International
Or, from a different fair trade organization:
“Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world… Fairtrade addresses the injustices of conventional trade, which traditionally discriminates against the poorest, weakest producers. It enables them to improve their position and have more control over their lives.” – Fairtrade Foundation
As you can see from these two definitions, the overall implication of this certification is that farmers are paid a fair price and reflect this in how they treat their workers and the communities their work supports. But as I stated above, this does not guarantee either of these realities when it comes to chocolate produced on the Ivory Coast.
Here’s something interesting though; the reverse is true as well. Just because a product is not marked as fair trade does not mean that their cocoa is produced through slave labor, under unsafe conditions and bought for a price well below market value.
Next: The Good News about Chocolate. What companies are trustworthy?
Read more: Conscious Consumer, Desserts, Do Good, Food, Make a Difference, News & Issues, Vegan, Child Labor, chocolate, fair trade, organic chocolate, Slave Trade
Alisa Rutherford-Fortunati
Gentle World is a vegan intentional community and non-profit organization, whose core purpose is to help build a more peaceful society, by educating the public about the reasons for being vegan, the benefits of vegan living, and how to go about making such a transition. For more information about vegan food and other aspects of a vegan lifestyle, visit the Gentle World website and subscribe to our monthly newsletter.
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
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Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
people are talking
Thank you.
Funny. But nice to see a sex positive article with a positive headline. Your sex life is normal! …
such a love, she's a princess.
thank you for sharing
Thanks for sharing.
433 comments
+ add your ownThank you for the information. I always try to buy fair trade, but sometimes it's impossible to find.
no !
I appreciate the reminder enclosed here inside comment's as to palm oil. I really do try to read for it. Conserve nature.
noted
I am surprised that the most famous chocolate producers in the world - companies from Switzerland - are not mentione in either one of the lists.
noted
noted
Hotel Chocolat have their own estates and other sources where they provide health care, education, new trees etc and pay proper prices. Check them out.
very large margin between organic-fair trade choc and commercial rivals
Great article!!
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