Choctober was held at Ten Thousand Villages in Pasadena for Fair Trade month for people to experience chocolate tasting and to educate them about Fair Trade as they tried different samples of chocolate.
By JULIO A. CRUZ EL NUEVO SOLChoctober is celebrated every October, hence the name, to not only have delicious chocolate tastings but to educate people about the Fair Trade aspect of chocolate.
This particular event had different types of people trying chocolate: some were new to Fair Trade, some knew just a bit about it, others volunteered because they feel strong about what Fair Trade is all about, and others participate in events like this one throughout the year.
Some people that do not know about Fair Trade and have habits on only purchasing commercial, conventional products, in this case chocolate, ask why Fair Trade?
Volunteer Bridget Cooney helps a customer decide which delicious Fair Trade chocolate from Divine she should try and buy. Photo by Julio A. Cruz /ENS
“Awareness is a first step,” said Sam Bills, manager at Ten Thousand Villages in Pasadena. “Sometimes we want to turn our heads and not think about the fact that there are things going on behind the products we buy that are not savory, are not ethical.”
That is the case with commercially owned cocoa farms, for example Hershey’s, where its practices are not only hazardous for the environment but inhumane, where people, mainly children, are forced to provide the labor.
Since 46 percent of Americans can’t live without chocolate while cocoa farmers make less than $5 a day and work under unhealthy conditions, Fair Trade can help those farmers work under better conditions and not have them struggle to survive, TransFair USA reports.
TransFair USA also reports that Fair Trade may provide pre-financing to farmers of up to 60 percent of the contract value prior to harvest.
For Kristina Peralta, Pasadena resident and new to Fair Trade chocolate, moving from commercial chocolate not only affects those companies, but it helps people around the world ensure a better lifestyle while consuming a better product.
“It’s worth it…one, you are getting what you paid for, it’s delicious, and two, at least you know your money is going to good,” Peralta said. “Being cognizant of what you are buying…over time little changes make a big difference…[and] make a big impact.”
A Snickers bar for example, costs about $1.59 compared to a Divine Chocolate bar that costs about $3.50. As there is a big difference in price, there also is a big difference in the way it tastes to the way it is made to the way it impacts producers. First, the way it tastes is different. It’s a good source of chocolate for vegetarians because it is free from artificial flavorings, colorings and preservatives.
Second, its ingredients are Fair Trade as well: cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, peppermint crisp, and vanilla, to name a few.
Divine Chocolate is one of the top Fair Trade chocolate organizations in the U.S. Seen here are a few bars of its variety. Photo by Julio A. Cruz /ENS
A protocol led to thedevelopment of a‘Certification’ process in the cocoa farming sector and the establishment an independent foundation, the International Cocoa Initiative, focused on cocoa farming labor practices, according to Cocoa Farming.
This certification process has been implemented to help governments, industry, and the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI), to focus their efforts toward eliminating the worst forms of child labor and forced adult labor in the cocoa supply chain, seen in its progress report.
Third, the impact it has on the producers affects their lives in a good way. Divine Chocolate, for example, works with cocoa farmers in Ghana. Kuapa Kokoo, a co-operative of 45,000 cocoa farmers, benefits by receiving a share of Divine’s distributable profits giving the farmers more economic stability, according to Kuapa Kokoo.
Richard Parsekian, a volunteer at the chocolate tasting, thinks that trade between consumers and providers is important to be transparent and Fair Trade does that.
“Trade should be fair. People work hard and should be compensated fairly,” Parsekian said. “It’s reasonable that workers get a fair compensation for their work, whether it’s in the U.S. or any place in the world.”
The win-win situation for producers comes in when they not only receive fair wages, where $954,188 has come in to the U.S. from 2002 to 2009, but when they have wells, schools, healthcare centers built, are also provided sustainable farming methods and educational courses for children and women. All this makes this type of production sensible, TransFair USA reports.
The way to change the guilt of spending for commercial chocolate is to look into Fair Trade, socially and environmentally responsible chocolate organizations and coops, and even stores that carry that type of chocolate
A Fair Trade chocolate fountain that kept dipping chocolate for strawberries and pretzel sticks. Photo Credit: Julio A. Cruz
For Bridget Cooney, Ten Thousand Villages volunteer, shopping at certain stores make you aware of that, aware of the chocolate industry as a whole.
“The products here [Ten Thousand Villages], I could tell the difference in quality,” Cooney said. “My favorite chocolate is mint by Divine.”
Some of the chocolates to look for are:
Divine Chocolate
Equal Exchange
Theo Chocolate
Map: Fair Trade chocolate found in Los Angeles stores
Related stories: Is Anything Safe to Eat?
Tags: Alter Eco Choctober Cocoa Farming Dagoba Organic Chocolate Divine Chocolate Equal Exchange Fair Trade Hershey's International Cocoa Initiative Julio A. Cruz Kuapa Kokoo Snickers Ten Thousand Villages Theo Chocolate TransFair USA
