Fair Trade Chocolate for Halloween
Friday, October 17th, 2008
The Fair Trade Logo
I came across a news story by the United Methodist News Service about Fair Trade chocolate and they are trying to raise awareness this Halloween, a time when lots of people will eat lots of chocolate. The basic premise of Fair Trade is fairly simple:
- Provide access to the market for small scale food producers by purchasing directly from them.
- Develop equitable and sustainable partnerships with producers by paying fair markets prices for their goods and reinvesting in their communities.
- Raise awareness among consumers and other purchasers about the benefits of Fair Trade (via conferences, newsletters, blogging…)
Eating Fair Trade foods is really not as difficult as one might think. In the past few years, supermarkets and especially smaller, local food coops have put more Fair Trade products on their shelves. However, even if you are not able to stock everything you eat with Fair Trade certified goods, you can still probably find most of your staple foods with the Fair Trade logo. Items such as sugar, coffee, cocoa, tea, fruits, honey, etc. are widely available at any decent food coop.
If you would like to learn more about the Fair Trade movement, check out The Fair Trade Foundation and The International Fair Trade Organization for ways to get involved. Also, take a look at our Organic, Fair Trade Cocoa Powder and Cacao Beans for two of International Organics most popular Fair Trade products.
