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Fairtrade Chocolate (Why It's Important)

Fairtrade Chocolate (Why It's Important)

| Sarah Payne

At Cocoa Loco we pride ourselves on being an ethical chocolate company.

We've been making Organic and Fairtrade Chocolate since 2005. When Sarah started the business, she was aware of the mistreatment of cocoa farmers in growing countries and she wanted Cocoa Loco to make a difference and set an example. Ensuring farmers are fairly paid for their crops is essential.

So where do the cocoa beans we source for our chocolate come from? And what makes it Fairtrade?

cocoa pod farmer

Ninety percent of the world’s cocoa is grown on small family farms by around 6 million farmers who earn their living from growing and selling cocoa beans. Cocoa trees grow in tropical environments and as cocoa is a sensitive and delicate crop, farmers must protect the trees from wind, sun, pests, and disease. With the proper care, cocoa trees begin to yield pods at peak production levels by the fifth year and they can continue at this level for 10 years. For all of this hard work, cocoa farmers gain very little from a very profitable global cocoa trade.

To be able to create our Fairtrade chocolates in the UK, we source our cocoa beans from the Dominican Republic, where cocoa is grown by 40,000 small-scale cocoa growers. Fairtrade supports farmers in the Dominican Republic; schools have been built and repaired, with scholarships and equipment provided to students from poorer families. A new IT centre has been built to help children with schoolwork in the cooperative where we source our cocoa beans from. Simply put, Fairtrade makes things better and it’s a simple way to make a difference to the lives of the people who grow the things we love – and we really do love chocolate, especially when the chocolate is Fairtrade!

cocoa seeds

Purchasing on Fairtrade terms enables Fairtrade producers to get fairer trading conditions, stimulate social change and engage in environmental protection.

Fairtrade aims to make cocoa farming more sustainable so farmers can provide better for themselves and their families. We share Fairtrade’s vision: a world in which all producers can enjoy secure and sustainable livelihoods, fulfil their potential and decide on their future.

By buying Fairtrade chocolate from Cocoa Loco in the UK, you’ll ensure that small-scale cocoa farmers in the Dominican Republic can make their own decisions, control their future, and lead a dignified life.

For more information about Fairtrade, visit - www.fairtrade.org.uk

Found this interesting? Read our blog post about Organic Chocolate

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