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Like, most agriculture commodities which are imported into the developed
world, cocoa farmers in the developing world often get paid less than what
it costs to grow & produce cocao. Small-scale farmers, without recourse
to the international market are at the mercy of unscrupulous middlemen,
while large scale growers abuse and exploit workers and also use child
labor. Fair Trade certification of cocoa ensures that cocoa farmers receive a fair price
for their harvest, creates direct trade links between farmer-owned
cooperatives and buyers, and provides access to affordable credit. On Fair
Trade farms, slave labor is strictly prohibited and farms are inspected to
ensure that Fair Trade standards are being met.
USA is the largest consumer of cocoa products in the world and your
purchase of organic and fair trade chocolate directly helps the farmers by
providing them a market and fair wages for their work.
Equal Exchange fairly-traded chocolate bars support small-scale farmers and their families. The
bars combine
famous Swiss standards in chocolate making with cocoa from three farmer
cooperatives in the Dominican Republic and Peru; sugar from four
cooperatives in Paraguay and Costa Rica; and milk (in the Milk Chocolate)
from a cooperative in the U.S. All ingredients are 100%
organic.
Please note that we no longer carry fair trade items. We
are greatly sorry for the inconvenience. A reference page containing
links to all your favorite fair trade products will be available soon.
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Quantities can be specified in
shopping cart, after adding item.
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| Milk Chocolate,
3.5 oz,
$2.85
organic raw cane and whole
cane sugar, organic cocoa butter and liquor, organic ground hazelnuts,
organic ground vanilla. Cocoa 38% minimum.
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| Dark Chocolate with
Almonds: 3.5 oz, $2.85
organic raw cane and whole
cane sugar, organic
cocoa butter and liquor, organic ground hazelnuts, organic
ground vanilla, organic chopped almonds.
Cocoa 55% minimum.
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| Very
Dark Chocolate: 3.5 oz,
$2.85
organic raw cane and whole
cane sugar, organic
cocoa butter and liquor, organic ground hazelnuts, organic
ground vanilla. Cocoa 71% minimum
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Producer
- Conacado Cocoa Coop, Dominican
Republic
CONACADO is comprised of 9,000 small-scale farmers organized into 9
regional "bloque" associations, each consisting of 126 village
associations. Throughout the organization, approximately 80 persons are
employed to ensure its effective administration at the national and regional
levels. CONACADO was founded in 1988 as a response to low global cocoa
prices, and in order to assist small-scale cocoa farmers in improving their
working and living conditions. Its aim is to generate work and income for
disadvantaged groups in society, to decrease dependency on intermediaries by
exporting products directly, and to offer technical assistance and credit to
farmers to improve the quality of cocoa production. Cocoa is the main
cash crop for CONACADO farmers, as it accounts for 90% of the farmer's
income. Frequently, the income received from the export of their cocoa is
below their costs of production. To improve farmers' standard of living,
CONACADO cocoa is produced using organic agricultural techniques under the
shade grown canopy of other fruit producing trees that provide extra income
and food security for the farmers. For Conacado, Fair Trade has paved
the way for renewal, and continues to be a foundation of hope for continued
growth. However, Conacado's members still sell much of their cocoa in the
conventional market where prices have been below the cost of production for
over two years. Farmer incomes are sufficient to cover the basic costs
of living but do not leave room for savings or extra expenses such as home
improvements. Families with especially large numbers of children still can't
afford to send them all to school.
Supplier/Importer - Equal
Exchange
Equal Exchange, the pioneer and U.S. market leader in Fair Trade
coffee since 1986. 100% of Equal Exchange products are fairly
traded, benefiting 27 small farmer cooperatives in 14 countries around the
world. In keeping with its Fair Trade mission Equal Exchange is a worker
cooperative, owned and democratically controlled by its employees.
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