Chocolate with less guilt: Fair-trade brands help cocoa farmers

from The Pittsburgh Post Gazette

By Kevin Kirkland, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Chocolate will never be a guilt-free passion, but buying fair- trade chocolate might ease your conscience a little.

It costs more than run-of-the-mill milk chocolate -- it's 71 cents to $1.90 an ounce -- and doesn't come in holiday shapes. But buyers or sweet tooths lucky enough to receive it as a gift can feel better knowing that the cocoa farmers who helped produce it receive a living wage and money to build health clinics, improve schools and provide clean drinking water.

Divine Chocolate, one of the best-known brands, is nearly half-owned by the Kuapa Kokoo cocoa farmers co-operative in Ghana. In 1997, farmers created the Day Chocolate Co. with support from corporations and charitable groups in the United Kingdom, including Comic Relief, Twin Trading, the Body Shop and Christian Aid.

For every ton of cocoa sold, farmers are paid a $150 "social premium" that has been used for water projects, corn mills, soap-making and other community facilities.

Locally, Divine chocolate is available at Equita, a "fair trade and green lifestyle shop" that opened in November at 100 43rd St., Lawrenceville. Sisters Amanda and Sara Parks and Amanda's husband, Michael Solano, also sell fair trade coffee, tea and olive oil and apparel, jewelry, handbags, body products and other items from 30 countries and native American and North American sources.

"Chocolate is the next wave in fair trade," said Sara Parks. "People are just starting to hear about it."

She noted increased publicity this year about child workers on cocoa plantations in Africa. Some are former soldiers, 7 or 8 years old.

At Equita, a 3.5-ounce bar of dark chocolate from Divine sells for $2.80, milk and white chocolate for $2.50. Theo Chocolate, a Seattle company that buys cocoa from various countries, makes a 2-ounce bar that sells for $3.85.

Dagoba Organic Chocolate from Oregon makes "choco drops" -- about the size of a Hershey's kiss but flatter -- in 8-ounce bags for $8.50. Equita also sells Jungle's 2-ounce packages of unprocessed cocoa beans from the Amazon mixed with coconut, pineapple, raisins, brazil and other nuts for $3.25.

The East End Food Co-op at 7516 Meade St., Point Breeze, sells four types of fair trade chocolate. A 1.4-ounce piece of Endangered Species dark chocolate sells for $1.79 and a 3-ounce package for $2.19. Green & Black Organic has a 3.5-ounce bar for $2.29 and Dagoba Organic 2 ounces for $2.59.

Equal Exchange, which uses cocoa from the Dominican Republic and Peru, has a 3.5-ounce bar for $3.09.

Whole Foods Market, 5880 Centre Ave., East Liberty has Endangered Species in many flavors; 3-ounce bars are now two for $4. Terra Nostra Organic's yogurt and milk chocolate in raspberry and strawberries and cream flavors are 3.5 ounces for $3.29.