Fair Trade and Hotel Chocolat
Fair Trade cocoa
Read our very honest opinion on Fair Trade, and why Hotel Chocolat doesn't make or sell Fair Trade chocolate.While we wholeheartedly support the principles of Fair Trade, there are a couple of major stumbling blocks.
In the last few years, the Fair Trade movement, and more specifically the Fairtrade mark, have exploded onto the market. Fair Trade is now the most recognisable emblem of trading fairly and has helped raise consumers’ awareness of the problems faced by farmers in developing countries. The rise of conscientious consumption is mainly thanks to Fair Trade and its efforts to make more fairly traded products more widely available.
On the farmers’ side, the movement provides a safety net that guarantees a minimum price for their produce. A fair price that allows them to cover costs and make a living that not only protects farmers from volatile commodity markets, but also from unscrupulous buyers. And the promotion of workers’ welfare, environmental consideration and sustainability is invaluable.
So why doesn’t Hotel Chocolat Sell or Make Fair Trade Chocolate?
Although we wholeheartedly support the principles of Fair Trade, there are a couple of major stumbling blocks that prevent us from making and selling Fair Trade chocolate.
It is simply not possible for a company-owned cocoa plantation, such as our Rabot Estate, to gain Fair Trade accreditation. Only smallholdings are eligible.
The quality and scope of Fair Trade cocoa and chocolate is extremely limited. Our products differentiate themselves by exploring the subtle nuances of origin, quality and variety of the cocoa bean. So, using Fair Trade cocoa would severely compromise our aim of creating high quality chocolate.
We therefore needed a wider-ranging approach that would fit with our love for fine cocoa and allow us to continue making creative chocolate. In fact, the work that we do both complements and extends beyond the scope of Fair Trade.
Engaged Ethics
We wanted a set of ethical initiatives that were both controllable and flexible to local needs and offered us the chance to roll up our sleeves and see tangible results. Fair Trade has no controlled or measured focus on quality improvements or education of farmers. Our approach is hands-on and is measured and reviewed each year.
Click here to read more about our projects in Ghana and St Lucia.
Our Engaged Ethics Programme runs all the way through our range and our business. And, whilst we support the Fair Trade movement and its achievements, it is a concern that some use it simply as a label to be attached to a single product or two – a tool to establish their ethical credentials, while the rest of their range has no credentials at all. That, in our view, seriously undermines a highly worthwhile principle.
