The tradition of giving chocolates on Valentine’s Day can
be traced back to the days of the Aztecs, who believed that chocolate was a
source of spiritual wisdom and sexual prowess. While chocolate and spiritual
wisdom is questionable, we know that chocolate is an aphrodisiac. But, how sexy
is chocolate when you realize what it takes to get from bean to box?
West Africa is the largest producer of cocoa, with approximately
35 percent of the world’s supply of cocoa harvested from the Ivory Coast. This
region is also known for its use of child slave labor. Children as young as
seven, with the median age of 12, are either kidnapped or sold by their own
families to work harvesting cocoa. Can you imagine your 7-year-old climbing up
a cocoa tree, while wielding a machete, hacking down a cocoa pod, and hoping
that the child doesn’t hack off a body part or fall to their death? Not a very
sexy thought is it? Of course, not all cocoa is harvested under such conditions
and we all have the opportunity to pitch in for change by purchasing chocolate
that is Fair Trade and Slave Free.
Below is a list of Fair Trade and Slave Free companies for
a truly loving Valentine’s Day gift of chocolate:
- Alter Eco Chocolates
- CocoaVino
- Divine Chocolate
- Dagoba Organic Chocolate
- Endangered Species Chocolate
- Equal Exchange Chocolate
- Green and Black's Organic Chocolate
- Himalania Choclate
- Madécasse Chocolate
- Mama Ganache
- Newman's Own Organic Chocolates
- Organic Bouquet Truffles
- Rescue Chocolate
- Shaman Chocolates
- Sweetriot Chocolates
- Sjaak's Organic Chocolates
- Smith Organic Chocolate
- Theo Chocolate
- Taza Chocolates
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