Fair Trade Chocolate

Last updated 2004-06-28 by Roedy Green ©2003-2004 Canadian Mind Products.
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Speakers' Corner

The New VI TV Station here in Victoria lets people record videos for broadcast on any topic they choose. This was my script.

Over the last 40 years, the big international cocoa companies such as Cadbury, Hershey and Nestle have whittled down the amount they pay to the cocoa farmer to $0.02 CAD per chocolate bar.

For growing the cocoa trees, individually picking the almond size beans, fending off snakes, and fermenting the chocolate, a Ghana grower makes about $0.50 CAD a day.

That is marginally above slave labour.

If you want to pay the grower a 15% tip, you can ask for fair trade chocolate. In return, you get ultra-rich, organic, top-quality chocolate. There are many brands of fair trade chocolate available.

So treat yourself to some fair trade chocolate, or give some to a chocolate lover to turn them into your love slave.

Lobbying

Cocoa is big business. 5% of the food budget of a Briton goes to chocolate. It is the most valuable food commodity next to coffee.

The additional 15% on the grower's $0.02 CAD share is negligible. Unfortunately, the middlemen still mark than share up preposterously. To get even a little extra through to the grower you have to fatten the middlemen.

Sources

To find out where to get it from a source near you try searching

for "fair trade chococlate".

The interational fair trade certifying organisation is called FLO. The Canadian fair trade certifying organisation is called Transfair. They maintain lists of certified cocoa companies. They audit to make sure the chocolate truly is fair trade. They also provide similar certification for fair trade coffee, tea, sugar, tropical fruits, and soccer balls. There is some phony fair trade stuff out there. If you don't see either of these two certification logos, be suspicious. Most of the world's fair trade certification groups are in the process of converting to the international logo.


Canada	International

The figures used in this essay came from the CBC Radio 1 Ideas documentary Two Cents Worth aired on 2003 November 24 and December 1.

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