Fair trade facts for your sweet treats

It’s one of life’s great pleasures to indulge in a tasty, chocolate treat every now and again – or maybe even every day!

Sometimes, when you’re in the midst of a sugar craving, it can be easy to forget to think about what kind of products you’re buying.

Some brands of chocolate are more environmentally and socially friendly than others.

Choosing to purchase fair trade chocolate is one easy thing you can do to make a positive difference for the environment and the world as a whole – it’s as easy as purchasing eco friendly bags or coffee cups.

So – what is fair trade, and why does it make a difference?

Sustainable communities

Fairtrade is about sustainability for local communities as well as the environment.

It means that the countries and communities making goods like chocolate get fair prices and are working in good conditions.

Sustainable environment

Usually brands that are fair trade are more careful about what kinds of ingredients they’re using and that their manufacturing processes are more environmentally friendly.

As well as this, their packaging is usually minimal and easily recyclable, so there isn’t such a negative impact on the natural environment.

It makes a difference

Fairtrade Australia says that currently six million people, including farmers, producers, workers and their families spanning 63 countries benefit from the Fairtrade system.

What can I do?

Fairtrade International states that in some nations such as the Ivory Coast and Ghana, 90 per cent of farmers rely on cocoa for their primary source of income. Countries such as these are developing and so are more vulnerable to poor wages and conditions, but fair trade is a way of ensuring against this.

Chocolate tastes sweeter when it’s sustainable, so to see if your sugary treat is fair trade, check the packaging for certification, and take the simple step of purchasing a fair trade product.

It’s so easy to do and can make a big difference for many lives.

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