Thinking about buying your boo some chocolates for Valentine’s Day? Before you splurge on a classic box of mixed goodies, ask yourself two questions:
Do you know where the chocolates’ ingredients came from?
Have you ever eaten an entire box of these pre-arranged chocolates?
The type of chocolate you purchase heavily influences your food’s environmental and social impact. There are lots of sustainable chocolates on the market, but more times than not, the typical "Valentine’s Day variety pack" doesn’t shine bright. Instead of going Forrest-Gump-style this year and buying a box of chocolates without knowing what you’re going to get, here are three reasons for how and why you should be more selective about the chocolates you purchase for Valentine’s Day.
Find a chocolate that was harvested and produced sustainably.
Chocolate can be a sustainable delight or an environmental disaster depending on its growing practices. Unfortunately, most of the chocolates on the market come from environmentally- destructive practices.
Côte d’Ivoire (the Ivory Coast) and Ghana produce 60% of the world’s cocoa, but to produce that much cocoa requires an abundance of land. Experts say that up to 70% of Côte d’Ivoire’s illegal deforestation is related to cocoa farming.
To avoid purchasing chocolate that supports deforestation, you can keep an eye out for Rainforest Alliance Certified labels on products. The Rainforest Alliance supports sustainable agriculture practices by verifying that ingredients come from farms that support environmental protection and improve the lives of the farmers.
A few examples of Rainforest Alliance Certified chocolates include Dove Dark Chocolates, Chocolove, and Justin’s. Unsure if your chocolate qualifies as Rainforest Alliance Certified? Check out the Find the Frog search engine on their website!
Find a chocolate that supports fair trade and worker rights.
Did you know that the majority of cocoa farmers in Ghana get paid $2 (or less) a day for their labor? That means 90% of cocoa farmers in Ghana don’t make enough money for necessities like housing, medical care, and even clothing. In addition, a report by the US Department of Labor revealed that an estimated 1.56 million children harvest cocoa in systems of child labor. The Fair Trade Alliance is an organization that verifies cocoa farms that provide fair wages to farmers and adhere to labor standards like prohibiting child labor.
Similar to the Rainforest Alliance, the Fair Trade Alliance has a certification seal for products that adhere to their standards. Some Fair Trade chocolates include Equal Exchange, Unreal Snacks, Tony’s Chocolonely, and Theo chocolates.
Find the chocolate that they love.
Pop quiz: What’s your Valentine’s favorite kind of chocolate? (If you are unsure, I suggest you find a sneaky way to learn quickly!!). If your partner adores the hazelnut filling of Ferrero Rochers, do you honestly think they would rather receive a box of thirty milk chocolates filled with artificial caramel, mint, and raspberry flavors than even just a three-pack of those Rocher heavenly delights? Purchasing your Valentine’s favorite treats tells your boo that you pay attention to what brings them joy, and it could also prevent food waste. I’ve seen so many people throw away half-eaten boxes of Valentine’s Day variety packs because they think that a good portion of the chocolates are disgusting. Save chocolate from a miserable fate by investing in the good stuff to begin with.
A note about choosing sustainably:
It is important to realize that Fair Trade Alliance and Rainforest Alliance chocolates cost more than your typical Hershey's chocolate bar. But remember, when you pay an extra $.50 for a bar of sustainable chocolate, you are turning away from business practices that exploit people, their children, and the environment. When you pay fairer prices, you become a sustainability and human-rights hero. It is crucial to understand that.
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