Happy Valentine’s Day season!

Click for a wonderful and timely article by dear Simran Sethi (whom I first met on a cacao farm in Ecuador!) for Epicurious titled “5 Ethically-Sourced Chocolates to Buy This Chocolate Season.”

Her article gives information about the terrible human rights and planetary problems in the chocolate industry, such as child labor and deforestation — Ivory Coast has lost 90% of its forests due to bulk cacao cultivation using environmentally harmful methods — which we see in the commoditized cacao supply chains used by big chocolate brands that are found in grocery stores and other large outlets.

Happily, the article doesn’t stop at the problem as some other stories on these grave topics do; Simran shares some exciting solutions or alternatives in the form of slavery-free, sustainable chocolate options for Valentine’s Day and beyond, made from ethically-sourced specialty cacao that so many of us rave about (and that I love to put on my grapefruit : ) . 

For example, the article highlights the delicious Dick Taylor drinking chocolate in my photo at the top of this post — made from just 2 ingredients: organic cacao and organic sugar, all you need! — plus other choices by chocolate makers I’m also honored to call clients or friends!

You know that all of the craft chocolate brands I represent as a broker, consultant, or distributor meet my 5 Ss:

• slavery-free
• sustainable
• soy-free and lecithin-free
• small-batch
• scrumptious!

Enjoy Simran’s excellent article. Chocolate is love!

Your friend in chocolate,

Valerie

Valerie Beck

http://www.chocolateuplift.com

chocolateuplift@gmail.com

Instagram @chocolateuplift