funny, i knew there was fair trade chocolate. i knew there was chocolate given out on halloween, but i never thought to connect the two. i am glad there are people out there that are smarter than me to do that. this from equal exchange.
Equal Exchange is participating in a coalition of faith-based groups, human rights organizations, and fellow Fair Trade chocolate companies to raise public awareness about the continuing problem of forced child labor on many cocoa farms in the Ivory Coast – source of 40% of the world’s cocoa.
In the six years since these practices came to light the corporations that dominate the global cocoa and chocolate trade have made, and broken, promises to fix the problem. Consequently we are trying to put the problem back on the public radar and raise awareness that there already exists an option – Fair Trade with farmer co-op’s – that goes a long way to reforming what’s wrong. For example, Fair Trade both demands adherence to key labor standards and provides a higher, stable income that directly addresses the otherwise chronic poverty of cocoa growers everywhere.
Unfortunately, the cocoa/chocolate industry has steadfastly rejected the Fair Trade model, even as they have failed to deliver substantial solutions of their design. Therefore we and the other members of the coalition have created an awareness raising campaign for this Halloween called Reverse Trick or Treating. We are offering 20,000 bite-sized samples of our organic, Fair Trade Certified™ chocolate, attached to informational cards, to be distributed to homes nationwide.
If your congregation would be interested in participating click here to sign up.
Click here to learn more about the child labor problem and Fair Trade cocoa.
there is a methodist connection
This Halloween, hand out some fairly traded chocolate and support the United Methodist Committee on Relief Coffee Project at the same time—how sweet! These delicious dark chocolate mini bars are made with fairly traded organic chocolate and sugar and are the perfect size for trick-or-treaters. For the month of October, special informational postcards will be available with every order of minis to help you spread the word about how fairly traded chocolate benefits cocoa farming families.
Click here to order your minis.
