I'll Take Mine Black, Thank You!

 Got Chocolate? Hang On A Second

You cats remember the movie Chocolat, starring Juliet Binoche and Johnny Depp in the year 2000? It was a hit, especially among women. Binoche's character, Vianne, pairs just the right chocolate recipe with each individual customer. She and her chocolate are a hit. Toss in a young Johnny Depp, and jazz gets steamy. The romance part is a "no duh." The chocolate part is a reminder, as if needed, that chocolate is awesomely delicious.

Whether you're a purist or a casual (with half a brain) chocolate eater, you will admit that chocolate from across the pond, Europe, far exceeds US chocolate. To deny is to announce one's lack of taste and perhaps, intellect. But, forget about that. Let's dig a little deeper. Let's go deep cocoa.

Most of the cocoa used by US chocolate companies is bought from African suppliers. Mostly, Cote D'ivoire, and Ghana. Here's the shitty part where I rain on the chocolate parade. Most of the cocoa pulled from the soil for these suppliers is done by child labor. 

I just listened to a podcast with Youtube billionaire, Mr. Beast, (James Steven Donaldson). He mentioned that when he got into the chocolate space he stumbled upon this tragedy. He added that when he reached out to the "Bigs" of the US companies and brought this up they said, and I paraphrase, "that's just the way it's always been done." Mr. Beast was shocked. After more research he went and aligned with suppliers on the decent ethical side of the aisle.

That's where I'm going next. What could be done? Like Mr. Beast did; don't do business with companies that exploit children.

For fuck sakes! 

It should be an ethical, do not cross this line, no-brainer. There are a few companies that claim to be on the up and up. I haven't done full research on them but they are: Divine Chocolate, Alter Eco, Theo Chocolate, Tony's Chocolonely, Greneda Chocolate Company, Beyond Good, and a few others. Each of these companies claim to have ethical practices and principals, and use NO KIDS! I sincerely hope these sellers are legit. 

How could a company in good conscience make/accept money off the backs of children and say "it's the way it's always been done." Answer; they can't. And if the conscience is clear they are without souls. And are in fact, major assholes!

Take companies like Mars and Hershey's. Mars has the 1 billion dollar "Cocoa For Generations" sustainability strategy. They claim all the good stuff under: Farmer livelihoods, Environmental protection and human rights. Hershey's has acted similarly with its "Shared Goodness Promise." Is all this legit? I can't answer that.

But these two companies deal in the regions mentioned above, and yet there are 1.56 to 2.1 million children engaged in hazardous child labor on cocoa farms. Plus, Mr. Beast had a sit-down with some of the "Bigs". So...which is it? Is Big US chocolate on the up and up, with just a few shady farmers slipping through the cracks? Or are the pledges of these and other US chocolatiers pomp, ceremonial, handshake, photo op, printed on valueless paper, promises which are empty in nature? Like many industries we need honest watchdogs. Accurate oversight. Best, would be decent practices and due diligence from the candy bar peddlers from the get-go.

Should we follow the money? Always. Hershey's made 5.3 billion dollars in profit in 2024. Up 6% from 2023. Could the pusher of shitty candy go with a vetted clean supplier instead of the (perhaps) bullshit mission statement/promise? Obviously. It might cut into the bottom line (not at all). And those poor shareholders might take the tiniest of haircuts. All that needs to happen is "that's just the way it's always been done" needs to become, "It's fucking wrong to exploit kids, and we're not going to do it!"

They claim they're clean. But 1.5 to 2.1 million children beg to differ. In fact, I bet they literally beg early and often. 

Cocoa farms are where most of these children will die. 

They are even captured in other regions and forced into labor. If that's not horrific enough, some of the children are sex trafficked.

So...next time you sink your teeth into an over rated, diabetes producing, over sugar'd slop that fu*5s with your brain's wiring—Mars Bar or Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar—take a long pause. Do the deep dive, that I haven't done here, into the companies' practices. No time for that? Then do what I do and avoid all chocolate bars. Too much? Then eat the good European stuff, or go with the companies that only deal with the ethical suppliers.

Still can't beat the craving? Do I actually have to bring up the children again? Nah, I didn't think so. If you're reading my blogs, you're good people. I'm trusting you on this, baby!