Fight for Fair Trade

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Close your eyes. Imagine you are holding a chocolate bar. The wrapper crinkles in your hands as you slowly peel it back, revealing a slab of dark, velvety umber. A fantastic aroma emanates from it, smooth and intense with notes of cherry. You take a bite, and the creaminess completely consumes you.

Chocolate. That stuff is majestic.

Today is a big day. It's the third anniversary of a leadership conference I attended in D.C., where I met some amazing people. A shout out to all of my friends from JrNYLC! I would also like to take a moment to wish my grandma and little cousin a very happy birthday indeed! Grandma, I know you love chocolate; I'm not sure about you Kam, but we're going to go with yes. Because who doesn't like chocolate? Well, I guess that's not entirely fair. The website for Gourmet Healthy Chocolates tells us that "Nine out of ten people love chocolate." That's not entirely surprising, is it? The human body craves sugar and fat, and chocolate just happens to offer up both. Further, it's got this crazy awesome melting factor and a great texture to boot. The previous source expands that "Chocolate is known to increase serotonin and dopamine," which are happy hormones. Chocolate makes us happy on a chemical level. Dark chocolate, or chocolate high in cacao, also has some noteworthy health benefits. This article says that chocolate can help protect you from diseases due to its high antioxidant content. Aim for 85% and above. Moreover, the article states that the Easter Bunny's favorite food can improve heart health, and is associated with better cognitive function. Crazy, huh?
Mind you, I think this news is a cause for celebration. I love chocolate. I don't know what I would do without chocolate. Probably cry in a dark corner. And I know that I am not alone in my adoration; our friends back at Gourmet Healthy Chocolates say that "It is estimated that approximately 1 billion people eat chocolate every day." Wowza! 

 Evidently, chocolate is pretty darn popular. But the industry is in danger. While demand for this sweet product is high, cocoa production may be facing a challenge in climate change. According to "Future of the chocolate industry looks sticky " by Katy Barnato and Luke Graham, "Cocoa is a delicate crop and trees are susceptible to changing weather patterns, as well as diseases and insects. The International Center for Tropical Agriculture has warned that an expected annual temperature rise of more than 2 degrees Celsius by 2050 will leave many of West Africa's cocoa-producing areas too hot to grow the crop. Trees are seen struggling to obtain enough water during the growing season." Beyond climate change, there is a "concerns about impoverishment and the use of child labor on cocoa farms. Around 2 million children work on cocoa plantations in Ivory Coast and Ghana, 500,000 of them in 'exploitative conditions,' according to the European Campaign for Fair Chocolate."
Climate change and child labor are not subjects to be taken lightly. However, you can do something about them while still enjoying a square of dark chocolate. Buy fair trade chocolate. 
For one, fair trade cocoa is not harvested by children working in dangerous situations. Instead they can go to school. The article "5 Reasons to Eat Fair Trade Chocolate" explains "Big chocolate brands like Cadbury, Nestle and Hershey have all made pledges to improve cocoa communities in West Africa and reduce child labor, but it is a long process. In the meantime, just buy fair trade!" Fair trade cocoa is also not overly harvested, resulting in more prebiotics. We want those guts to be nice and healthy; your evening treat can help if you choose fair trade. Finally, fair trade chocolate is more environmentally responsible. "Not only is fair trade chocolate good for people, it’s also good for the planet. Equal Exchange['s]... chocolate is organic and made with the farmer, the land, and your taste buds in mind! Most fair trade chocolate is also shade grown, meaning the farm includes other growth, like fruit trees, that grow tall and provide a canopy that the cocoa tree prefers. This helps provide higher cocoa yields and decreases the necessity for harsh chemical pesticides or fertilizers" ("5 Reasons to...").
If you are worried about the future of your choice delicacy, fair trade is the way to go. You can learn more about fair trade chocolate here, or maybe here, or on this page. There is definitely lots to learn.
Some great fair trade brands that can satisfy your cravings are Green & Black's Chocolate and Endangered Species Fair Trade Dark Chocolate.

So go ahead! Indulge! Just remember to go about it the right way.
Grandma and Kam, I wish you both birthdays that are 'choc' full of fun!
-Maya

Photo by Simone van der Koelen on Unsplash, Photo by Etty Fidele on Unsplash,
Photo by Victoire Joncheray on Unsplash

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