Chocolate. It’s a snack that brings most of us joy. But for children in West Africa, chocolate is a real life nightmare.
When people crave chocolate, they tend to pick up a bar or two while waiting in line at their local grocery store. For chain groceries, this usually means Hershey, Nestlé, or Mars.
But here at Mountain Avenue Market, we make it a point not to sell these brands. Instead, we sell fair trade chocolate, with brands at our register such as Equal Exchange, Tony’s Chocolonely, and Alter Eco. Why? It’s not just that these brands are organic, but their ongoing commitment to end child slavery.
As Tony’s Chocoloney’s writes in their mission statement: “Right now there is slavery on cocoa farms in West Africa. This is a result of the unequally divided cocoa chain. Tony’s Chocolonely exists to change that. Illegal child labor and modern slavery are against the law – it needs to stop. [. . .] The economic model of the cocoa industry is driven by maximum profit. The relationship between producer, purchaser and end user is anything but equal.”
As The Washington Post reported back in 2019, Hershey, Nestlé, and Mars all went back on their promise to stop using cocoa through child slavery. “About two-thirds of the world’s cocoa supply comes from West Africa where, according to a 2015 U.S. Labor Department report, more than 2 million children were engaged in dangerous labor in cocoa-growing regions.”
That’s why it’s important to invest in small businesses like Tony’s Chocoloney. It’s not just that the chocolate is organic, it’s a fight against child slavery, deforestation, and poverty.
Right now at Mountain Avenue Market, we’re having a Member Sale on brands such as Endangered Species Chocolate ($2.39 a bar) and Equal Exchange ($3.19).
And while you’re here getting your much needed chocolate fix, we’d love it if you could lend us a hand by donating to our fundraiser.
We’ll see you at the co-op!
