Chocolates are one of the most widely grown, harvested, and processed plant products in the entire planet. Grown in many different areas of the world, chocolate is one of the most commonly used and demanded plant product, and has one of the most recognized flavors. But do we ever stop to think about how the entire world is supplied by chocolates? Have we ever thought about where their plants are grown, what the conditions are in those areas, and how they have managed to make it to our hands with ingredients from various different parts of the world? And most importantly, have you ever thought about how they are priced so cheaply, knowing that the ingredients are from various different countries?
For the past few decades, there is a social movement that has been in existence and known as “fair trade”. Fair trade is an organized movement that aids and makes sure that producers in third world and developing countries continue to improve and that they contilune to develop and master their own practices, furthering their progress while promoting a sustainable mentality and way of living. The fair trade movement advocates the higher payment for producers in areas where related products like chocolate are produced in numbers and in different varieties. The movement also rewards processes that have positive social and environmental effects. Fair trade zeros in on export products in particular, which are products that developing countries bank on for economic growth and progress. Fair trade’s inception was the product of decades of unfair labor practices, both in the financial sector and the operations sector. Now, the fair trade movement has made sure that products like chocolate are grown and harvested in a satisfactory manner, that workers and communities are well compensated for and supported, and that self-sustainability is promoted and made into reality.
So the next time you are enjoying a cup of hot chocolate or opening up a bar of chocolate, check if the product that you are supporting is in line with the practices of the fair trade movement. It is better to indulge knowing that the product you are consuming was created from start to finish using methods that are beneficial to a lot of people. It is also great to be able to fully support the many different forms of chocolate that we all love. Being able to contribute by supporting fair trade chocolate also makes sure that the chocolate we love is sustained, and thereby reducing the risks of the business losing its steam.
Fair trade chocolate is a better alternative to just buying mass-produced and cost-cut chocolate products. It is a great way of supporting a cause that can really make great changes for the rest of the world. We can also help by stopping our thinking that it is just chocolate, and start to see it as a product that can help feed and develop third world countries. With fair trade chocolate products, you can be sure that what you are consuming is truly guilt free and contributes to the rest of the world.