But we’re not helpless against the power of the big corporations. In fact, making a difference for cocoa farmers, farm workers, & the environment in West Africa every time you buy chocolate is as easy as:

1. Buying chocolate, like Tony’s Chocolonely, that pays farmers a fair price for their beans, and invests in sustainable farming practices. Find a store that sells Tony’s here!

While we’ve selected Tony’s for the strength of their five sourcing principles, which include higher prices for farmers, and complete transparency from bean to bar, Tony’s isn’t the only company making a positive impact on the chocolate industry. Check out 10 other companies that you should ditch Big Chocolate for here!

To learn more about chocolate as an urgent environmental and human rights issue, check out the list of Chocolate Justice Resources on our blog page.

2. Tell the bad guys to be good - when you buy ethical chocolate, take a second to message Hershey’s that “the price you pay for your beans guarantees farmer poverty, child labor, and deforestation - that’s why I bought a Tony’s bar today.”

Hershey’s Contact Info:
Twitter: @HersheyCompany
Instagram: @Hersheys
Email: consumers@hersheys.com

If you get a response from Hershey’s, please tag us on Instagram @chocolatejusticeconspiracy and/or post Hershey’s response to our message board so we can track our impact!

3.Make a tiny contribution to KEPT Farms in Axim, Ghana. KEPT Farms is a tiny, grassroots project that grows oyster mushrooms using agricultural waste products from coconut husks.   The next phase of their project is to create an employment opportunity for high school students by paying them for this work, & our donations will help them get this phase of their project off the ground.   KEPT Farms does the exact opposite of what Big Chocolate is doing in West Africa:  healing the planet through sustainable agriculture, and increasing economic opportunity and access to nutritious food. Would you commit to making a tiny contribution to them - say $1 - every time you buy chocolate?  Let’s start consciously helping, rather than blindly hurting, the people of West Africa with each of our chocolate purchases. Make a tiny contribution to KEPT Farms today, and spread the word!  And feel free to share thoughts & ideas about our Chocolate Justice Campaign on our Message Board - thank you!!!

Once we've received 100 donations, we'll select one donor to receive samples of Tony's chocolate, delivered monthly for a year.  You know you want to support sustainable agriculture in Ghana, and you know you want that chocolate - make a tiny contribution to KEPT Farms today! 

The Bitter Side of Sweet

Our Chocolate Justice campaign got its start when a group of Atlanta middle and high school students read The Bitter Side of Sweet, by Tara Sullivan.  The book tells the story of Amadou, Seydou, and Khadija – kids working as forced laborers on a cocoa farm in Ivory Coast – and their breathtaking escape from bondage.  The Bitter Side of Sweet inspired us to do something about exploitation in the chocolate industry.  What if more and more people turned their backs on Big Chocolate, supported companies that paid a fair price to cocoa farmers, and provided direct support for sustainable agricultural projects in West Africa?  We invite you to join our campaign!  

The Bitter Side of Sweet was so inspiring to us that we decided to see what would happen if we sent our copies of the book off on a journey to see who else they might inspire.  We put stickers on our books inviting people to “Join The Chocolate Justice Conspiracy!” and to “Take This Book & Pass It On!,” along with a QR code leading them to this website. 

If you’re someone who found one of these books, then we’re excited to meet you & we hope you’ll join our campaign!  On our message board, please tell us where you found the book, and – assuming you haven’t finished it yet – what you think of it so far.  Once you’ve finished, please come back & give us your thoughts on the book, as well as your ideas for making our campaign for chocolate justice a success.  And then – and here’s the most important part – let the book continue its journey, and hopefully inspire more people, by placing it in a strategic location, so as to inspire someone else to get involved.  

And if you’re hearing about our “Chocolate Justice Conspiracy” book campaign for the first time, and want to help us send copies of The Bitter Side of Sweet out into the world, then please first buy a copy of the book (we recommend supporting an independent bookstore like Powell’s), read it & let us know what you think about it on our message board, & then put a sticker on it & sent it off on a journey into the world.  You can use the jpg below to make a sticker, or just print it out & tape it to the front of the book.  Or, if you really want an official sticker, make a $5 donation to our Chocolate Justice Campaign & send your address to gfgc.atl@gmail.com, & your sticker will be on its way!

Please check out The Bitter Side of Sweet, and be sure to spread the word!