[cornflowerblue]

I recently read in the most recent issue of <i>Shameless</i> that 70% of the cocoa that chocolate manufacturers around the world use is from the west coast of Africa, where child labor/child slavery is extremely prevalent.<br><br><br><br>
Companies such as Hershey's, M&M, Nestle and Mars buy their cocoa from these sources.<br><br><br><br>
Please consider this the next time you have a chocolate craving!<br><br><br><br>
Take a look at some fair trade companies:<br><br><br><br>
Green & Black's<br><br>
greenandblacks.com<br><br><br><br>
Endangered Species Chocolate Co.<br><br>
chocolarebar.com<br><br><br><br>
Dagoba Organic Chocolate<br><br>
dagobachocolate.com

 

[cookingVeg]

I buy Just Us! or Cocoa Camino when I buy fair trade chocolate.

 

[ketivnilloc]

if you care about child labor, and slavery search "blood diamonds" they are much worse than chocolate.<br><br><br><br>
...back on topic, i don't buy chocolate often but next time i do, i'll look for one of these.

 

[anonymousemo]

I don't buy chocolate from those brands. The chocolate I eat is from Lindt. Do you know where they get their chocolate from?

 

[wildflower]

be careful with green & blacks..i heard rumours they have been acquired by nestle.<br><br><br><br>
i dont eat chocolate all that often. when i do, i always buy one from my vegan wholefood store, and they only stock reputable brands, so all is good.

 

[Pandora]

thanks for the thread, I agree, and I get my chocolate bars at this local fair trade shop in my town. At the supermarket they also sell fair trade chocolate sprinkles for on bread (popular Dutch National product) which I buy all the time <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smitten.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":smitten:">

 

[remilard]

no, I don't. Fair trade certification is expensive and only available to large plantations that are owned by large companies. I prefer to buy chocolate that is sourced from single family owned plantations. Most of the chocolate I buy, I could tell you what plantation it came from.

 

[hullmikita]

I have Maya Organic Chocolate bars, which is vegan and Fair Trade.

 

[kpickell]

I buy Hershey's, M&M, Nestle and Mars. So I guess the answer to your question is No, the chocolate I buy isn't certified fair trade.<br><br>
(I wasn't sure if you were asking a question, or just making it rhetorical?)<br><br><br><br>
I think child slavery should be illegal.

 

[Spidergrrl]

I buy Divine chocolate from Oxfam--vegan and fair trade. On a side note: I have convinced my school where I teach to be fair trade next year with coffee, tea and sugar from Oxfam for the staff room. WooHoo!

 

[zoebird]

we've been doing fair trade chocolate for 4-5 years now. coffee and tea too. and home-related decorative items (10,000 villages), and whatever else i can manage to do.

 

[Spidergrrl]

Yeah-- at home we use fair trade chocolate, bananas, coffee, tea,brown basamati rice and sugar. Sometimes fairtrade dried fruit if I can find it. I buy some at Oxfam but some at our regular grocery store (Waitrose)