Theonistas Unite!

"To Ecuador, With Love" An Inspiring Fair Trade Article from Utne Reader

Check out this inspiring article from the Utne Reader on the lives of workers in the Fair Trade rose growing industry in Ecuador. I also found this more sobering article on the modern slave trade.

Child Slavery & Child Trafficking in Africa,with Tim Costello of World Vision Australia

This report from last Easter is making the rounds now in honor of fair trade fortnight. I highly recommend giving it a look, it's quite visceral to see in video, what we so often read about in the news. (I wish I could beam a little of this video into the brain of every person who rolls their eyes at me over the price of Fair Trade chocolate.)

A heartfelt post about child labor in Ivory Coast from fellow Fair Trader Beth of Bambootique

Read her post here. Invisible Voices on the subject here. There is a serious side to what Fair Traders do and why they do it. If you are not moved by the plight of third world farmers and don't see the Fair Trade Premium as worth the cost, consider these moving stories of children in Ivory Coast.

Ivory Coast and its Exports
(quoted from Food Museum Blog)

• Ivory Coast is located on the southern coast of West Africa.
• Its exports include: cocoa, gold, rubber, palm oil, coffee, and tropical woods.
• The cocoa trade drives one-third of Ivory Coast’s economy.
• Ivory Coast provides 43 percent of the world’s cocoa beans. Ivory Coast is the top grower of world’s cocoa beans: 1,290,000 during the 1999-2000 growing season.
• There are approximately 600,000 cocoa farms in Ivory Coast.
• Ivory Coast is the world’s fourth-largest Robusta coffee grower (after Vietnam, Indonesia, and Uganda). Coffee and cocoa crops are often grown together, so the taller cocoa trees can shade the coffee bushes. On some farms, the same workers harvest both crops.

Sources: Knight Ridder; Port Import Export Reporting

On the brighter side

Here is a partial list of Fair Trade Certified Cooperatives courtesy of TransfairUSA, including Kavokiva in Ivory Coast and Kuapa Kokoo in neighboring Ghana.

 

Bambootique Trunkshow in Tualatin - Free Chocolate!

Beth and Tammy of Bambootique are hosting a Spring Trunk Sale Saturday May 3rd from 10am-4pm - which is wonderful in and of itself, but what's more, they are offering a free Theo chocolate bar to every new customer! Yummeh. Shopping a Sale + Fair Trade + Free Chocolate = PERFECT SATURDAY! Please contact Beth to be added to the mailing list and receive directions to the sale.

Plenty o' Love from Plenty Magazine

Check out this excellent article on ethical chocolate sourcing, featuring our own Joe Whinney. You can read more about the DNA mapping of our chocolate mentioned in the article here. Woohoo!

Join us at Eco Gift Expo December 15th & 16th

We look forward to seeing some fellow Theonistas at the Eco Gift Expo next month in Santa Monica. We will be at booth 101with all of our lovely holiday items for sale as well as individual bars to recharge your engines on the go, and of course, many tasty samples!

Reverse Trick or Treat

Our Reverse Trick or Treat was a grand success, and we loved having the opportunity to spread the word about Fair Trade and surprise and delight moms and dads with a little more "Treat" in return for their Halloween generosity this year. Our "kids in the field" reported that parents were completely taken aback at the reverse gifting, and responded enthusiastically to the Fair Trade message. Big thanks go out to Global Exchange for spearheading this amazing movement, and the Washington Fair Trade Coalition for their support (Thanks Stephanie!) We can't wait to participate again next year and reach out to even more people. Thanks to everyone who participated near and far, and all the bloggers out there spreading the good word.

Theo Chocolate Wins Eco-Epicurean Award

Food & Wine Magazine recognizes 5 Eco-Innovators in their August 2007 issue including our very own CEO Joe Whinney. Read the article online here.

Also check out this decadent recipe for pots de creme - I suggest trying it with Venezuela or Blend.

Fair Trade Gambit - Candy Industry News