Day 35: I really like chocolate. Milk, dark, white, I pretty much love all kinds. I never really thought about where the chocolate came from and how it was produced. All I knew was that it tasted good and I enjoyed eating it.

Well, this journey to be more friendly to the environment has also taught me to be a more informed consumer. I am becoming more knowledgable and in turn this knowledge has directed my purchases. Now, it’s not happening overnight, but I’m trying to make a conscience effort to change my shopping habits and choose companies and products that are benefiting people and the planet.

So, with Valentine’s Day just 10 days away, I got to thinking about some sweet treats for the kids. I started looking for candy companies that use their businesses for good. While on my search, I came across the 2020 Chocolate Company Scorecard. Mighty Earth, Be Slavery Free, and Green America surveyed the world’s biggest chocolate companies to find out which companies are rising to the challenge of making cocoa sustainable.

“Together we surveyed 13 chocolate companies and 8 cocoa suppliers, examining their policies in six of the most pressing sustainability issues facing the chocolate industry: mandatory due diligence; transparency and traceability; deforestation and climate change; agroforestry; living income policies; and child labor, focusing primarily on child labor monitoring and remediation systems.”  Green America

I was surprised to see some of my favorite chocolate companies had scored rather low. It definitely opened my eyes to some serious issues plaguing the chocolate industry.

See the full chocolate scorecard here.

Though, it will take some major discussion to convince a certain chocolate lover in the house that his preferred candy of choice (peanut M&Ms) is not doing much to promote sustainable work practices or to keep children safe, I will continue to take steps toward making sure the chocolate that we consume is not hurting the planet or the people making it.

So, this Valentine’s Day, I encourage you to seek out companies that are taking these issues seriously and are doing something to improve the situation.

Here are a few suggestions:

1. Alter Eco Foods – Every product they make is sourced from farmer-owned coops practicing sustainable agriculture. They are also pioneers in compostable packaging, and have worked with they’re cacao partners to replant the rain forests where their beans are grown.
2. Theo Chocolate – They pay more for certified fair trade and organic cocoa beans, to ensure farmers receive a living wage. They work directly with farmers in the Norandino Cooperative in Peru and Esco-Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to source amazing Organic & Fair Trade certified cocoa that benefits farmers and the environment.
3. Unreal – Two friends figured out a way to create the chocolate treats we have grown to love, using fair trade, organic, and sustainable ingredients. I also should mention it has 40% less sugar than leading brands.
4. Endangered Species Chocolate – They are passionate about bringing authentic chocolate to the marketplace with real, responsibly sourced, health-conscious ingredients and no mysterious sweeteners or additives. Since 2016, ESC has donated over $2.6 million to its Give Back Partners who focus on wildlife conservation.
5. Beyond Good – They work directly with over 100 cocoa famers in Madagascar. They help them grow premium cocoa and they earn considerably more money for it. They also built a factory near the farmers to eliminate the middlemen. They are also using cocoa agroforestry to help replenish the lush vegetation of Madagascar.
6. Divine Chocolate – Their business model reflects the belief that producers should earn a share of the profits they help to create. That’s why one of the shareholders of Divine Chocolate is Kuapa Kokoo Farmers’ Union, a co-operative of 100,000 cocoa farmers in Ghana who grow the finest quality cocoa for their everyday and seasonal collections. The farmers’ ownership stake in Divine Chocolate is a first in the Fair trade world.
7. Tony’s Chocolonely – Over the last few years Tony’s Chocolonely’s has been working on their sourcing principles for slave-free cocoa. This enables cocoa farmers to earn a living income, which will help put an end to illegal child labor on cocoa farms in West Africa.

If you would like to learn about Fair Trade Certified products, click HERE!

So, enjoy your chocolate this Valentine’s Day and know you are helping the planet, along with the hard working people that are making that delicious cocoa product for you.

Tomorrow, 1% might not sound like a lot, but it can make a huge impact.