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What is Fair Trade Chocolate?
Chocolate is a huge commodity — in the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day alone, Americans eat up to 58 million pounds! It’s not all sweet though, most of the chocolate available in today’s grocery stores has very little cocoa in it, try to find the percentage on the label of your next chocolate bar. Instead, companies add things like hydrogenated oils, artificial flavors, and high fructose corn syrup. What’s more, the cocoa they do put in their bars can sometimes be farmed by children. According to a recent Tulane University study, up to 2 million children work harvesting cocoa in West Africa, where more than 70% of the world’s cocoa comes from.
Fair trade chocolate, on the other hand, is sweet in every way! The farmers receive a fair wage for their work, plus a fair trade premium for community development projects. They harvest the cocoa beans using sustainable practices that protect the earth and make sure the beans are the highest quality.
This means that while the farmers get paid fairly for their cocoa, there isn’t enough demand for fair trade so the chocolate goes unsold or gets sold as conventional chocolate. Global consumers need to demand fair trade from chocolate companies on a larger scale.
Fair Trade cocoa co-ops earned $17.7 million from the fair trade premiums paid to farmers. Unfortunately, this is only 0.1% of the global chocolate market. So, while the demand for fair trade chocolate is growing at a great pace, the market is still dominated by conventional cocoa, which is not good quality and does not support fair wages or safe working conditions.
Fun Chocolate Facts
Not-So-Fun Chocolate Facts
How Does Chocolate Grow?
Cocoa beans grow in pods on trees. They grow best in regularly warm or hot weather with a lot of humidity and rainfall. Cocoa can only be grown around the equator where this kind of climate is prevalent.
Cocoa trees can product up to 20 pods a year. Each pod holds about 30 or 40 seeds, encased in a sticky white pulp that is crucial to the fermentation process.
Learn More About Fair Trade Chocolate
Our Chocolate Brand Comparison gives you all the facts on which chocolate companies use bad stuff like artificial flavors, GMOs, child labor and high fructose corn syrup and which companies use the best ingredients without all the bad stuff. Hint hint, the fair trade brands come out on top!
5 Reason to Eat Fair Trade Chocolate, including lack of child labour, higher amount of cocoa, prebiotics, environmental stewardship and, of course, it makes you happy!
Shop Fair Trade Chocolate
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QuickviewGoji Berry Dark Chocolate Bites
Chocolate, Gifts for Co-workers, Gifts Under $20, Grocery, Valentine's DayIrresistible, tiny 72% dark chocolate cubes with 100% organic goji berries packaged in a resealable bag. Our chocolate is proudly:$6.00- vegan
- fair trade
- 72% cocoa
- naturally rich in antioxidants
- low in sugar
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QuickviewPistachio Sea Salt Dark Chocolate Bites
Chocolate, Gifts for Co-workers, Gifts Under $20, Grocery, Holiday Favorites, Valentine's DayIrresistible, tiny 72% dark chocolate cubes with 100% organic pistachios & sea salt packaged in a resealable bag. Our chocolate is proudly:$6.00- vegan
- fair trade
- 72% cocoa
- naturally rich in antioxidants
- low in sugar
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QuickviewCinnamon Almond Dark Chocolate Bites
Chocolate, Gifts for Co-workers, Gifts Under $20, Grocery, Valentine's DayIrresistible, tiny 72% dark chocolate cubes with 100% organic almonds and a hint of cinnamon packaged in a resealable bag. Our chocolate is proudly:$6.00- vegan
- fair trade
- 72% cocoa
- low in sugar
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QuickviewDivine 70% Dark Chocolate
Chocolate, GrocerySmooth, rich, 70% dark chocolate made from fair trade vanilla, cocoa, and sugar. 3.5oz bar. Ingredients: Cocoa mass, cocoa butter, sugar, cocoa powder, sunflower lecithin (emulsifier), vanilla. *May Contain: Milk, wheat, almonds, hazelnuts, coconut. Manufactured in an environment where nuts, milk, gluten and wheat are present*$4.50 -
QuickviewDivine 38% Milk Chocolate Toffee Sea Salt
Chocolate, GroceryMilk chocolate with a dash of sea salt, perfectly balancing the sweet crunch of toffee. Made from fair trade vanilla, cocoa, and sugar. 3.5oz bar. Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa butter, skimmed milk powder, cocoa mass, toffee 10% (sugar, glucose syrup, butterfat (milk), salt), butterfat (milk), sea salt, sunflower lecithin (emulsifier), vanilla. *May Contain: Milk, wheat, almonds, hazelnuts, coconut. Manufactured in an environment where nuts, milk, gluten and wheat are present*$4.50 -
QuickviewDivine 60% Dark Chocolate Pink Himalayan Salt
Chocolate, GrocerySmooth, rich, 60% dark chocolate crafted with the satisfying flavor of pink Himalayan salt. Made from fair trade cocoa, and sugar. 3.5oz bar. Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, rock salt, sunflower lecithin (emulsifier). *May Contain: Milk, wheat, almonds, hazelnuts, coconut. Manufactured in an environment where nuts, milk, gluten and wheat are present*$4.50 -
QuickviewDivine Chocolate Snack Bars (1.2 oz)
Chocolate, Corporate Gifts, Gifts Under $20, Grocery, Halloween, Holiday FavoritesDivine Chocolate is the only fair trade chocolate company actually owned by its cocoa farmers. While fair trade ensures farmers receive a better deal for their cocoa and additional income to invest in their community, company ownership gives farmers a share of Divine’s profits and a stronger voice in the cocoa industry. Suitable for vegetarians. Free from artificial flavorings, colorings and preservatives. 70% Dark Chocolate ingredients: Fairtrade cocoa mass, Fairtrade sugar, Fairtrade cocoa butter, Emulsifier: soya lecithin (non GM), Fairtrade vanilla. Milk Chocolate ingredients: Fairtrade sugar, Fairtrade cocoa butter, Dried cream, Fairtrade cocoa mass, Whole milk powder, Emulsifier: soya lecithin (non GM), Fairtrade vanilla. Manufactured in an environment where nuts, milk, gluten and wheat are present.$3.00 -
QuickviewTheo Almond Coconut 65% Dark Chocolate Bar
Chocolate, GroceryWelcome spring with a scrumptious almond and coconut dark chocolate bar. This spring only, Theo Chocolate has combined the bold flavors of almond and coconut into a heavenly dark chocolate bar. Enjoy it with the early spring flowers! Size: 3oz. - 65% Dark Chocolate$4.25 -
QuickviewChocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Chocolate, Gifts Under $20, Grocery, Halloween, Holiday Favorites, Seattle Top Products$2.50 -
QuickviewTheo Chocolate Sea Salt
Chocolate, GroceryThis addition to our Classic Bar lineup is sweet, salty and irresistible, featuring rich dark chocolate with a pinch of sea salt. Ingredients: Cocoa Beans*+, Cane Sugar*+, Cocoa Butter*+, Sea Salt, Ground Vanilla Bean*+.$4.25*ORGANIC +FAIR TRADESize: 3oz. -
QuickviewTheo Chocolate Seattle Bar
Chocolate, GroceryGreetings from Seattle! We blend cocoa beans from the Democratic Republic of Congo with organic milk powder to create our Seattle Bar. It’s a deliciously smooth, creamy bar that celebrates the beauty of the city it was made in. Ingredients: Cane Sugar*+, Cocoa Beans*+, Cocoa Butter*+, Milk Powder*, Ground Vanilla Bean*+$4.25CONTAINS MILK. *ORGANIC +FAIR TRADESize: 3oz. -
QuickviewNew Theo Fantasy Bars
Chocolate, Gifts for Men, Grocery, Holiday Favorites, Valentine's Day$3.00New Theo Fantasy Bar Collection - exclusive to small retailers like us! Fanciful flavors like root beer barrel and cinnamon horchata will have your taste buds doing backflips! Size: 1.9oz bar Bread & Chocolate 70% Dark Chocolate Our unique twist on traditional pain au chocolat. Indulge in buttery toasted breadcrumbs immersed in rich dark chocolate with a touch of sea salt. Cinnamon Horchata 45% Milk Chocolate The refreshing cinnamon kiss of horchata in creamy milk chocolate. Hazelnut Crunch 45% Milk Chocolate The indulgent crunch of buttery hazelnut brittle in decadent milk chocolate. Root Beer Barrel 55% Dark Chocolate The sweet crunch of root beer barrel candy in rich dark chocolate. This timeless favorite will take you on a nostalgic trip to the candy counter!Grapefruit and Ginger 55% Dark Chocolate Bright and citrusy grapefruit with zesty ginger in a rich dark chocolate.
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Fair trade chocolate is as delicious as it is empowering!
Fair trade farmers earn a living wage by growing cocoa that is natural and sustainable.
Use fair trade chocolate in your favorite baked good recipes, pair a bar with a fine wine, take to a dinner party, or eat anytime for a quick pick me up!
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