September 13
International Chocolate Day
International Chocolate Day has been on September 13 since 2000. If you needed an excuse to treat yourself to a special chocolate treat these days, ideally fair trade, look no further! And there are many reasons to support sustainable and ethical consumption...
Cocoa is one of the most important commodities on the global market, but small-scale cocoa farmers struggle to make a living. Child labor is prevalent in cocoa-producing regions, particularly in West Africa. By purchasing chocolate and other cocoa products with the FAIRTRADE label, consumers can significantly improve the living and working conditions of cocoa farmers in developing countries and support environmental protection. Cocoa cultivation is the main source of income for over 55 million farmers in the Global South, providing livelihoods for over 14 million people. However, these farmers face numerous challenges, including low incomes, child labor, aging cocoa trees, declining production, youth migration to urban slums, and the increasing influence of multinational corporations. Fairtrade chocolate is available in the Czech Republic, with a growing demand for Fairtrade cocoa. Most cocoa farmers have never tasted chocolate, but Fairtrade-certified farmers in Ghana own 44 chocolate factories, making Divine Chocolate one of the largest and most well-known British chocolate producers. A quarter of Fairtrade cocoa farmers are women.