Chocolate is a product that travels the world before it ever gets to the consumer. However, we don’t often think about where chocolate is sourced and how it goes from bean to bar. Unfortunately, cocoa farming is a practice that has seen many farmers exploited, underpaid, and exposed to dangerous conditions. Fair trade chocolate aims to end those practices by providing fair compensation directly to farmers and banning unsafe labor practices that put lives at risk. By consuming fair trade chocolate, you can feel good knowing that you’re supporting socially responsible practices that are better for people and better for the environment.
What does fair trade mean?
Fair trade compliant products are sourced directly from farmers. In the case of chocolate, those farmers are typically located in Latin America, otherwise known as the cradle of cacao. Fair trade partnerships with farmers mean that the market does not dictate cocoa prices. Instead, farmers are paid fair prices for their crops, along with premiums to assist with community development. Fair trade practices also ban the use of forced labor and child labor and boost environmentally sustainable farming practices. Often, you’ll find that fair trade chocolate is also organic. By encouraging healthier farming practices and providing better compensation to farmers, fair trade chocolate helps to build stronger communities and benefit the environment at large.
Why is Zotter Chocolate committed to fair trade practices?
Zotter Chocolate is fair trade verified because we believe in building a better world through the product we love so much. As a member of the World Fair Trade Organization, we firmly support the values of transparency, respect for the environment, and the payment of fair prices with no use of child labor. We also foster ongoing partnerships with the farmers we purchase from. In doing so, we not only achieve better conditions for farming communities that sustain our production, but we also ensure the highest quality for our ingredients.
Learn more about our commitment to quality and our bean to bar production facility on our website. You can also browse our incredible selection of hand-crafted chocolates on our website for shipment directly to your door.