Ethics in Chocolates: Our Chocolates and Our Stand

Journalist: “What happens with these [cocoa] beans?”

Cocoa farmer 1:  “We just grow them, but we don’t know.”

Cocoa farmer 2: “Our parents said they use it to make wine.”

Cocoa farmer 1: “We always think that imported wine is made from cocoa.”

Journalist takes out a bar of chocolate and shares it with the farmers. After seeing and tasting chocolates for the first time in their lives…

Cocoa farmers: “We complain because growing cocoa is hard work. Now we enjoy the result. What a privilege to taste it.’

Tasting good chocolates is indeed a privilege. Here at Beans to Bars, we believe that no one should be unfairly treated in order for us to enjoy our privilege. Our chocolate makers share our ethical stand.

Actions our artisans take to ensure their chocolates are ethical include purchasing only ingredients that are ethically sourced to cutting out profit-taking middlemen by buying cocoa direct from the farmers. Domantas Užpalis, of Chocolate Naive can even name you the name of his vanilla and cocoa farmers. Finally, our artisans consistently pay a fair price for their cocoa. What is a fair price? It can vary widely depending on many factors such as the type of cocoa and where it is grown but it is safe to say that a fair price is one that is above standard market prices.

Yes, that means the current market prices for cocoa are not fair at all – an indication of the exploitation and human misery behind many of the chocolates you have had the “privilege to taste”. No chocolates sold here at Beans to Bars  are born of unethical practices or human misery. To be able to say that – what a privilege.