COCOA AND ETHICAL SOURCING
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Make sure your chocolate doesn’t leave a
Suzanne Callander reports on the importance of ensuring that chocolate and cocoa is really and truly ethically sourced. It would appear that many well-known chocolate brands are falling short of expectations.
number of leading chocolate brands have recently been criticised for having inadequate ethical standards in their cocoa supply chain. The Independent
newspaper in the UK recently reported on an investigation by consumer organisation, Ethical Consumer (EC), which found that only 17 out of 82 well-known chocolate brands were judged to use chocolate from suppliers that ensured cocoa farmers were paid a sustainable income – a fair price is based on a consultative process with workers and traders to ensure the sum covers what it costs to grow
their crop. EC has stated that, while around 60% of the
world’s cocoa comes from West Africa, four- in-10 cocoa-growing households in the Ivory Coast are estimated to use child labour, and six-in-10 in Ghana. On the plus side, EC found that chocolate with Fairtrade International and Rainforest Alliance certifications is more likely to come from farmers that receive above poverty wages. After cocoa beans are harvested, the
majority are exported to international companies where they undergo the most profitable production stages – processing, packaging and retail. It was interesting to find out that, if the beans were distributed equally
42 Kennedy’s Confection December/January 2023/24
worldwide, Europe would get 9%, but in reality, it imports nearer to 50% of the world’s cocoa. After manufacture, most of the world’s ready-to-eat chocolate (75%) is exported by Europe, though much of this is European countries selling to their neighbours. Europe is also said to eat more chocolate than anywhere else – consuming between 45% and 55% of the world’s supply – followed by the US at 18%. Part of the Fairtrade model is to have a minimum price, which must be paid even when the market price falls below this figure. In EC’s 2020 chocolate guide the minimum price was lower than the Ivory Coast government’s price, so the Fairtrade
KennedysConfection.com
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