It’s World Chocolate Day!

Someone, somewhere back in 2009 decided July 7 would be celebrated as World Chocolate Day. To that person, I say thank you.

I don’t need an excuse to indulge in chocolate. In fact, we always have a few bars hidden away for when the mood strikes. Sometimes, one little square is all that’s needed to extinguish an after dinner sweet tooth. And, it’s much healthier for you than that giant slice of triple layer chocolate cake staring at you from the bakery window (mmmm….cake).

Before I start going on about chocolate, my brother sent me this link to Handmade Chocolate Making by a Mayan Master — watch this video — especially if you plan to visit Belize in the future! 

HERE’S TO YOUR HEALTH

We’ve all heard about the benefits that good quality dark chocolate and cocoa possess. Here’s a quick summary from Healthline:

• It contains fiber, iron, magnesium, and a few other minerals
• It has a wide variety of powerful antioxidants
• It may improve blood flow and can even decrease blood pressure
• It can increase HDL and improve insulin sensitivity
• It can help decrease the risk of heart disease

Selecting chocolate that contains at least 70% cocoa or more will help deliver on these benefits. 

FAIR TRADE OR DIRECT TRADE?

Cocoa content isn’t the only thing to consider when selecting chocolate. It’s important to purchase from manufacturers who support the sustainability and livelihood of cocoa farms and producers. And most importantly, buy products that help protect against child labor and slavery within the supply chain. 

As with any system, there are flaws and holes in its design, but as consumers we have a responsibility to research products and the ability to vote with our pocket books. I encourage you to visit the website of your favorite chocolate maker and find out what they are doing to put people and planet first.

Here are a few resources to learn about the role of fair trade and direct trade in chocolate:

• Fair Trade Certified 
• Fairtrade International
• What is Fair Trade & Direct Trade Chocolate? from Bar and Cocoa, curators of chocolate from around the world
• Direct Trade article on Wikipedia 
• Washington Post article on cocoa child labor 
• Food Empowerment Project and their recommended and not recommended list of products (there’s also an app, so you can take your list anywhere!)