Fair Trade and Chocolate Promoting a Fair and Sustainable Industry

The Global Nature of Chocolate Major Producers South America Africa Asia Global Influences Europe is the largest cocoa-processing region Local markets dictate taxes and currency fluctuations

What Growers Lack Education for children Health care Clean drinking water Electricity Teachers Reliable transportation

The cocoa growing cycle is laborious Seeds are picked, dried, and roasted Seeds are shelled and dealkalized and reduced to produce cocoa liquor Cocoa liquor is pressed to produce cocoa butter Cocoa butter is mixed with sweeteners and emulsifying agents

Farmers isolated from the market Cocoa-growing farmers often don’t have contact with the market Cocoa prices are volatile Buyers may misrepresent current world prices May use child labor to reduce costs

What Is Fair Trade? Above-market prices to growers No slavery used in production of cocoa Sustainable practices Benefits to trading partners’ communities

How Big Is Cocoa Fair Trade? Americans spend $13 billion a year on cocoa products More than 42,000 fair-trade cocoa farmers Fair-trade certified chocolate available from 10 origins Ten origins for cocoa include Ghana, Ecuador, Bolivia, and the Dominican Republic.

Ensuring Quality Cocoa importers work with fair-trade cooperatives Beans are tracked back to their origins Quality control of fermentation levels The ability to track beans to their origins ensures chocolate flavors are pure and authentic.

Map of global cocoa markets