Chocolate - How Sweet it is!
Mmmm, chocolate…we fantasize about it, indulge in it and enjoy its pleasures and benefits. Numerous articles have been written promoting chocolate’s health benefits.i In fact:
- Dark chocolate (chocolate made without milk) lowers blood pressure
- Dark chocolate has antioxidants
- Stearic acid - one of the fats in chocolate - can boost HDL cholesterol (the good kind)
- Chocolate has trace amounts of essential elements and vitamins such as potassium, magnesium, B1, B2, D and E
- Chocolate contains serotonin, which acts as an anti-depressant, and theobromine and phenylethylamine, which act as stimulants
Beyond the many health benefits, people (especially women) crave chocolate for a variety of reasons. Research reviews by two nutritionists at the University of Arizona at Tucson concluded that emotions, social values, sensory qualities, chemicals and the hormonal cycles of women all contribute to our cravings for chocolate.ii And let’s face it, it tastes good.
- Dark chocolate has a high content of cocoa solids and no or very little milk; it may contain up to 12% milk solids. Dark chocolate can either be sweet, semi-sweet, bittersweet or unsweetened.
- Milk chocolate has a lower cocoa content than dark chocolate, usually between 10-20%. The added milk solids and sugar can kill tastes and aromas, often rendering milk chocolate less-flavorful than its dark counterpart.
- The cacao tree has been harvested for seeds for over 2,000 years.
- The Irish chocolatier John Hanan first imported cocoa beans to Massachusetts in 1765. With the help of American Dr. James Baker, the two men built America's first chocolate mill and used it to produce the famous BAKER'S ® chocolate.
Read more about Cocoa on Wikipedia.
Virtue or Vice?
But how can something so sweet and so good be so hard on the environment and the world around us?
Chocolate, which comes from cocoa, is a worldwide commodity. Three million tons of cocoa are produced annually, with the current global market value at $5.1 billion. All cocoa is grown within 20 degrees of the equator in Asia, Central and South America and (primarily) Africa. Main chocolate manufacturers include Mars, Cadbury-Schweppes, and Nestle.iii
The majority of cocoa farmers receive very low wages for their harvests. This has led to the creation of sustainable, fair trade producer organizations that are certified to be compliant with social, economic and environmental requirements.iv
In addition, cacao trees grow best when they are part of a diverse ecosystem; however, monoculture planting of cacao trees and heavy use of pesticides typical in mass production operations leave trees vulnerable to pest infestations and cause environmental pollution. This has led to the creation of a small but burgeoning organic, sustainable cocoa market that helps to ensure the safety of cocoa and the environment in which it is grown. v
Another common, unfortunate practice in cocoa production, especially in Africa, is child labor abuse. In 2002, the U.S. State Department estimated that as many as 109,000 children were working on cocoa farms under some of the worst forms of child labor. Efforts such as the “Cocoa Protocol” have been put into place to end child slavery but so far the results have been mixed.vi
Making a Difference
How can you make a difference in the lives of cocoa farmers and others involved in chocolate production? You can start by choosing sustainably grown Fair Trade, Certified Organic and Rainforest Alliance chocolates this Valentine's Day.
Fair Trade is a growing movement that supports sustainable development by connecting family farmers to global markets and by ensuring that they are paid fairly for goods such as chocolate, coffee, tea, and certain fruits and grains. Fair Trade-certified products are largely organic, shade-grown and free of the chemicals and pesticides necessary for larger farming operations. This type of farming is typically small-scale which promotes biodiversity and sustains the land.
Fair Trade's goal is to create economically stable communities that possess the tools necessary to become self-sufficient. Beyond combating low wages, the Fair Trade premium invests in construction of schools and health clinics and provides organic agriculture training. Fair Trade products cost more because you are paying into a system that allows struggling farmers to plan for the future. Although cocoa sold with the Fair Trade label accounts for only 0.1% of the annual market, global organic chocolate sales continue to flourish.
Other meaningful eco-labels include Certified Organic and Rain Forest Alliance. Similar to the Fair Trade label, Certified Organic and Rain Forest Alliance labeling offer peace of mind for the consumer.
USDA Certified Organic emphasizes the farmer's use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality. Crops are grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides and without genetic engineering or ionizing radiation.
Rainforest Alliance ensures sustainable measures such as water, soil and wildlife habitat conservation and limited use of agrochemicals. The label also ensures that farm laborers are paid salaries and benefits equal to or greater than the legal minimum wage of their countries.
Choosing chocolate with meaningful eco-labels can make a real difference in the lives of growers and in the health of the environment. So, make your money count. Fair Trade for Valentine's -- what's not to love about that?
Chocolate Vendors - a Click Away
Sustainable Fair Trade and Certified Organic chocolate is just a click away at numerous vendors around the country and around the world. A little sustainable taste testing might be just the treat to tempt your sweetie’s palette.
- Alma Chocolate – Makers of (Mostly) Sin-Free Chocolates that are good for the soul
- Dagoba Organic Chocolate – (a recent Hershey acquisition) chocolate bars, baking chips, chocolate syrup, hot chocolate, and baking cocoa (non-alkali)
- Dean's Beans - Organic hot cocoa and baking cocoa, also kosher
- Divine Chocolate - chocolate bars, cocoa
- Equal Exchange - Organic hot cocoa, baking cocoa (with alkali) and fair trade, gourmet chocolate bars
- Green&Blacks’ (owned by Cadbury Schweppe’s) – a UK company that makes bars, biscuits and ice cream, among other items
- Ithaca Fine Chocolates - Organic chocolate "Art Bars"
- La Siembra Co-Operative - A Canadian worker-owned co-op. Dark chocolate bars are available in the USA
- Lillie Belle Farms – Award Winning artisan chocolates, completely hand made using time honored European techniques with a true American twist
- Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker – America’s finest dark chocolates from bean to bar
- Sjaaks Organic Chocolate – Based on European traditions and founded in 1985, in 2004 they joined the Organic Trade Association
- Sweet Earth Organic Chocolates - chips, bars and baking supplies all Fair Trade and organic
- Yachana Gourmet - Chocolate, tropical fruit spreads and other food products made from organically grown raw materials from the Amazon rainforest region in Ecuador
- Vere Chocolate – Born from a passion to create the most sophisticated, pure, healthful chocolate imaginable
Did You Know?
- The Max Havelaar Organization in the Netherlands was the first to offer a Fair Trade consumer guarantee label. Prompted by a request from coffee farmers in southern Mexico for more trade instead of aid, Max Havelaar worked with the farmers to build a sustainable model and sold the first Fair Trade labeled product (coffee) in the Netherlands in 1989.
- Today, 19 Fair Trade Labeling Organizations have initiatives set up in many regions including the UK, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, USA, Japan, Mexico and Australia/New Zealand. With sales growing at around 20% every year, Fair Trade products are quickly gaining a mainstream identity in the majority of the 18 countries that license them. In Switzerland, Fair Trade bananas account for one in every five bananas sold.
- Maketradefair.com gives a voice to the farmers, laborers, and factory workers who are being cheated by the blatantly unfair rules of world trade. It seeks to involve the consumer and provides information about the history and future of Fair Trade.
For More Information
- Transfair USA::Transfair USA is the home of the Fair Trade certification agency for the US. On this site you will find a wealth of information about Fair Trade certification - the non-profit organization that tracks and audits Fair Trade products in the US.
- FLO: Fair Trade Labeling Organization: FLO is the worldwide Fair Trade standard setting and certification organization. It permits more than 800,000 producers, workers and their dependants in more than 45 countries to benefit from labeled Fair Trade and guarantees that products sold anywhere in the world with a Fair Trade label conforms to Fair Trade Standard.
- The Consumers Union Guide to Environmental Labels: Developed by Consumers Union to provide information to consumers regarding eco-labels, organizations that produce eco-labels, and government and private standards for "green" labels. The site provides a nice overview of sustainable chocolate and includes some simple explanations of what USDA Certified Organic, Fair Trade Certified, and Rainforest Alliance labels mean.
- The World Cocoa Foundation works to create a sustainable cocoa economy by empowering cocoa farmers and their families. It provides, among other things, a list of fast facts about cocoa production and an interactive presentation that guides the visitor through the life of the cocoa bean, from tree to table.
- The International Cocoa Organization provides information about cocoa manufacturers.
Have a Sustainable Valentine's Day!
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