Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/68592
CANDY COUNTER Ten Years of Fair Trade Chocolate The first third-party certifications of the chocolate trade appeared in the U.S. in 2002. Today, surveys show that fair trade helps both cocoa growers and manufacturers succeed. Here, we speak to companies who swear by their fair-trade branding—and a few who believe it's time to move beyond it. BY JULIE BESONEN T he concept of fair trade began in the United States in the 1940s when members of the Mennonite community traveled to Puerto Rico. The group made a point of paying a fair price for needlework made by poverty-stricken villagers. Through various permutations and name changes over the decades, the movement to halt the exploitation of Third World farmers and laborers became a global concern. The first fair-trade label was launched by the Dutch in 1988, in an effort to halt the exploita- tion of coffee pickers in former Dutch colonies. Other commodities, such as tea, cotton, apparel, flow- ers, wine, honey, sugar, grain, vanilla and bananas came into the fold, broadening the audience of conscientious consumers. 50 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE ❘ specialtyfood.com PHOTO: BIGSTOCK