When it comes to treats, nothing makes me smile like a block of seriously dark chocolate. So it broke my heart to hear that most of the chocolate for sale is produced by slaves, and mostly children at that.
Boycott chocolate? Will that solve the problem? Maybe not according to some articles I've read. (Click on this post's title to read one of the articles.) Still how can I eat chocolate when I know this? Just before I learned about "slave chocolate" a friend gave me a large bag of a favorite kind of chocolate. Each time I ate a piece, a mental image popped up of a child working in a field when he or she should be in school or out playing. Time to quit chocolate?
Enter free trade chocolate.
I thought it would be difficult to find, but the new Trader Joe's in town carries an affordable house brand of free trade chocolate, produced under standards similar to those that ensure coffee is grown and sold in a socially responsible manner. This means good growing practices, living wages for crops and fair worker policies.
Phew! I still get to hoard dark chocolate in my desk drawer, and it might even taste better ...
5 comments:
I'm all sixes and sevens about food boycotts. I worry that there would never be enough boycott-ers to really change things.
Gotta get to Joe's.
Yeah, I waffle on this, too. But with chocolate, wouldn't it be cool if there was enough public outcry to force change? Who doesn't eat chocolate? At least until it gets to that point, we can stick to Fair Trade. That way people are still getting paid, and the purchases put our money where our mouth is.
Weren't we supposed to hit TJ's together at some point?
I'm not a huge fan of chocolate, but please tell me that french fries are safe.
I also believe every little bit helps, so even if a boycott isn't going to make a HUGE impact, at least on the personal level, you know you are doing the right thing.
So glad you are using this blog!!!
Thanks, Jen!
As far as I know, no slavery in Idaho potato farms. Losing fries might be more than I could stand. FYI: Your blogging was part of what inspired me to finally get in. See? I still look up to you!
:) It scares me that YOU look up to ME, you have been doing so many wonderful things in the world. I look up to you my dear.
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