Ethical Easter

Easter is rapidly approaching and, if you’re anything like me, you are dreaming of all the delicious chocolate the Easter bunny will bring you. But did you know that the chocolate industry is heavily implicated in modern slavery? Right now, slaves are working on cocoa farms in West Africa and many of them are children. If you don’t like the taste of that, think carefully about where you buy your chocolate eggs this Easter.

The good

A report by Ethical Consumer Magazine rates Lindt, Divine, Ritter Sport and Lidl chocolate among the best choices. These companies use business models that return money to poor cocoa farming communities and their cocoa is certified by third-party schemes like Fairtrade, UTZ or Rainforest Alliance. Look for the certification stamps and logos when you shop. They signal that external auditing takes place, making it more likely that slavery and child labour will be picked up on.

The bad

Nestlé, Mars, Cadbury’s, and Ferrero are among the worst offenders. Only part of their cocoa is certified. And the certification is awarded by nebulous company-owned schemes that provide very little public information about what they actually mean. In other words, there is a good chance that slavery and child labour will go undetected.

The ugly

The worst offender, according to the report, is Guylian which, doesn’t even have goals for certification. 

The inside of a wrapper from Tony’s Chocolonely chocolate.

My personal favourite chocolate brand

is Tony’s Chocolonely. Lonely because they are the only brand in the industry to promise slave free chocolate? I discovered this brand recently, thanks to suggestions from sustainable influencers Tess Waltenburg and Emma Lennhammer, but their chocolate has become a fast favourite with me. Not least because I feel so virtuous when I eat it! Tony’s goal is 100% slave free chocolate. Not only their own chocolate but all chocolate worldwide. I took this photo of the inside of one of their wrappers.

I don’t know if Tony’s make easter eggs but, if they don’t, I don’t want them!

Cover image via Ethical Consumer Magazine