What chocolate should we be buying? I tend to go for the 70 per cent cocoa solids stuff. But should feed my conscience as well as my waistline?Earthy types have turned to Fairtrade products, where growers are paid over and above market rates to give them something near a living wage. Tomato uses Jasper Fairtrade coffee. Coffee prices have rocketed recently and Jasper coffee is several magnitudes more expensive than Nescafe. And now pretty much every mainstream coffee company is onto this money spinning Fairtrade idea.Could Fairtrade be the next organic?If you haven’t been paying attention, organics are being hijacked by big global businesses and the money hungry.Just check out the organic breakfast cereals at the local supermarket and take note: they contain just as much sugar and just as little nutritional benefit as any other cardboard box.It’s a complete load of marketing bollocks.Now Fairtrade is being hijacked by multinationals. Fair Trade chocolate company Green & Black’s has been bought by Cadbury, which some people say compromises it on the ethical stakes.Sadly even the economics of Fairtrade don’t do that much for the third world. The surprise is how little cash gets to the growers according to The Observer in the UK:
“Ninety-eight per cent of Fairtrade chocolate is manufactured and packaged in Europe…Of the revenue generated by aBecome a Facebook fan. Follow me on Twitter.
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i hear you on hikacking of organic products. just another way to make big bucks these days.
I am interested in following this fair trade issue.
If you get that answer, i’d be interested to know about which chocolate to reach for next time.
It’s not a perfect world and in this country Fair Trade is the best we have. I’d eat products from Small Local producers. My choice for chocolate would be Kennedy & Wilson. It’s a tiny company based in the Yarra Valley. I buy it (70% Cocoa) by the kilo from the Essential Ingredient for about $30. You can also get their cat’s tongues and Bergomot Stars from DJs I think. Stepanie Alexader is a big fan.