Ethically sourced, FairTrade 3 oz dark chocolate raisins in compostable kraft pouch.

Choosing Fairtrade Cocoa Makes a Difference

The world's appetite for cocoa is booming. And yet cocoa farmers around the world often struggle to make a living, despite their position as the source of a highly prized commodity. Widespread poverty, deforestation, gender inequality, child labor and forced labor are persistent problems in the cocoa sector which could ultimately destroy it. But it doesn't have to be this way.

Fairtrade is helping to change the cocoa business for the better in a number of ways. When you choose Fairtrade cocoa and chocolate, you are supporting this drive for change.

• Fairtrade cocoa farmers are paid a Fairtrade Minimum Price for their goods, which acts as a safeguard when market prices drop. Organic production is incentivized with a higher Minimum Price.
• On top of the Minimum Price, farmer organizations also receive a Fairtrade Premium which they invest in projects of their choice. Many farmers have used the Premium to improve their businesses and production, replacing old trees and investing in better facilities for crop collection, storage and transport, or processing.
• The confectionary industry is highly consolidated, and Fairtrade works with key industry players to enable them to source large volumes of sustainably produced cocoa. More sales mean more benefits for farmers.
• Fairtrade is also pushing the envelope to establish living incomes for small-scale farmers. If we want cocoa in the future, cocoa farmers need to earn a decent and viable living from their work.
• By supporting smallholder farmers to organize themselves into small producer organizations – such as cooperatives and associations – farmers can negotiate better terms of trade and reach wider markets.