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How to Have Your Sweets… Guilt Free

Fair trade has become a buzz word of sorts lately, but what does it mean? And why should healthy chocolate lovers care?

You may not know that many cocoa farmers around the world are not a part of fair trade. Sending their children to school is not always an option. Farmers engaged in growing cocoa beans often find it difficult to survive economically. Organizations like Oxfam are working with impoverished people around the world and raising awareness about buying fair trade.

In countries like Ghana, these organizations are starting to make a difference.In Ghana, here is what a ‘fair trade’ agreement means. The small village of Fenaso Domeabra in Ghana is where cocoa farming is common. There, Lucy Mansa grows her cocoa beans to sell to support her family. The price she receives for these cocoa beans is often very low. As the national government was the only buyer, Lucy and her fellow cocoa farmers were compelled to sell for a price much lower then could be earned on an open market.

These farmers normally couldn’t do much about unfair trade. Kuapa Kokoo was founded in 1997 by cocoa farmers banding together to form their own production company. The name means “good cocoa farmer,” and these good farmers started to get exactly what they deserved a fair price for their crop, delivered on time and in cash.

These farmers then provide the chocolate that is sold in many organic chocoate shops as well as in Whole Foods and Oxfam shops. Monies earned under the fair trade agreement are reinvested in and returned to the community that produced it. This is an important step in getting fair treatment and pay for cocoa producers and farmers, because the demand for chocolate is increasing.

The good news about chocolate’s benefits - such as reducing cancer and stroke risks - has helped open a new market for the product. This means that chocolate consumers are seeking a better quality product. Much of this upscale chocolate is provided by individual distributors that understand the product is produced though a ‘fair trade’ supply chain.

Following this lead, other organizations and entire nations are supporting fair trade in the chocolate industry. The Body Shop, a U.K. based company, Christian Aid and Comic Relief organizations raise funds to combat poverty. These have also supported Kuapa Kokoo. A fair trade price of $1,600 per ton is now paid to Kuapa Kokoo farmers. This is very close to the worldwide market rate. According to allAfrica.com, roughly 20,000 farmers currently benefit from participation in the cooperative.

Distributors and large retail stores are noticing this movement towards a more socially acceptable trade practice and are offering fair trade branded chocolate products. As more consumers seek higher quality chocolate products, the choice of manufacturer, processor and distributor are becoming more and more important.

Going to the store for a chocolate snack should also require carefully reading the lable to find the “fair trade” notation. It benefits both body and soul!