Easter. If you ask my children, they will tell you it is all about Jesus and chocolate. The hollow inside of the Easter Egg is supposed to remind us of the empty tomb, and the signature cross of a hot cross bun alludes to the death and resurrection of the Son of God, but let’s be honest – the chocolate doesn’t always last long enough for too much contemplation.
However you celebrate the long weekend and whether you’re a choco-holic or not, it is hard to escape the bright shelves full of sweet delights from as early as the start of each new year. The choices are endless and every year they seem to find new flavours to draw us in but is your chocolate ethical? Choosing Fairtrade this Easter can not only be delicious for you and those you love, but it can help end the cycle of poverty for families all over the world!
Fairtrade is the process of buying and selling produce, from ‘developing’ countries. It allows and mandates that farmers earn what they deserve for their labour, under suitable working conditions: On average Cocoa famers earn less than $2 per day.[1] When chocolate companies pay fair prices for cacao/cocoa, workers are treated well, farmers can earn enough to support their families, and children aren’t forced to work and can go to school. Fairtrade means being just and fair to people as well as to nature and choosing Fairtrade is a very simple way to spread the love worldwide this Easter.
So what should you look for? There are three symbols which are a good indicator that the chocolatey treats you are buying are making a difference:
Placed on the front or back of the packaging, these symbols mean every effort has been made to make sure the ingredients producers are being supported and paid fairly.
Wondering where you can get this sort of chocolate from? Well fear not dear reader, we have done the research (and selflessly – the taste testing too) on your behalf. You’re welcome! Below is our list of some, but by no means not all, of the supermarkets, shops and websites you can get yourself and your loved ones all the chocolate you need this Easter. There are plenty more options out there, but these are some we personally have taste tested and think are a bit of alright.
Cheap & Cheerful (but still our guilty pleasures):
Dairy Fine & Moser Roth:
Proving that Aldi isn’t just the place to go for those amazing weekly special buys, the Dairy Fine and Moser Roth Easter ranges on their shelves each year proudly exhibit their ethical status. Is the chocolate for your connoisseur family members? No. Are they great for hunts and guilty late-night snacking? Yes. Ski gear and ethical chocolate? What could be better.
Woolworths Select:
Looking for a home brand alternative to the big brands? Woolworths Select range of Easter eggs are made using Rainforest Alliance-certified cocoa.
Mid-Range:
Darrell Lea:
Ok, so they aren’t Fairtrade certified but Darrell Lea’s partnership with cocoa sustainability program Cocoa Horizons has seen the iconic Aussie brand move to using 100 per cent sustainable cocoa. Rocky Road Egg anyone?
Lindt:
With their own Sustainability Program and a 100% traceable supply chain, the gold bunnies glittering on the shelves of major supermarkets could never be a bad choice.
Chocolatier:
With a delicious and gourmet range of truffles and eggs, Chocolatier is truly delicious and can be found at many local Foodworks and IGA nationwide as well as bought online.
Ferrero:
For Fairtrade and sustainable Ferrero treats, look no further than Ferrero eggs in both hazelnut and cocoa, as well as the classic Ferrero Rocher Golden Squirrels. Ferrero are also a champion of sustainable palm oil so our Orangutan friends will thank you for your choice.
Gourmet (& mostly online):
Hey Tiger:
This Melbourne based, social enterprise uses only ethically sourced ingredients. Partnering with The Hunger Project, their plan is to help communities in Ghana one block of deliciousness at a time.
You can buy their flavour combos in block or egg form and in a truly eco move, their Easter cartons can then be reused to create something crafty!
To order, head to: https://heytiger.com.au/
Haigh’s:
No celebration in my husband’s family is complete without a bit of Haigh’s Chocolate (in fact family arguments have been won and apologised for with these treats on more than one occasion). The fact that Haigh’s are UTZ certified as part of the Rainforest Alliance means that I can safely partake in family festivities without feeling guilty.
Bars, shaped chocolates, truffles and eggs (plus bilbies) can be found in their stores or bought online, and with $15 shipping Australia wide, why not give them a go?
https://www.haighschocolates.com.au/
Allergy/Dietary Requirement Friendly:
Treat Dreams:
Ali, my family are vegan’s and picky, what do I do? Fear not, I got you! Treat Dreams are a Sydney based company with a serious number of awards and street cred it back them up. They were even awarded ‘Best Vegan Milk Chocolate 2020,’
Cream Eggs, Bunny Truffles, Bars, and even a full range of pastries and cakes can be ordered with their packaging even having an ethical spin.
Check them out at: https://www.treatdreams.com.au/
Moo Free:
For our vegan and gluten-free friends, the organic and non-GMO sea salt and caramel, dark chocolate, original or Bunnycomb eggs of Moo Free are made using single-origin organic cocoa from plantations in the Dominican Republic. You can buy them online from David Jones and lots of independent supermarkets.
So whether you are a chocolate par-taker, a parent searching for the compulsory egg hunt items, or just a generous loved one wanting to give the perfect give – we hope that this year making your Easter an Ethical Easter will be the simple choice!
Got your own suggestion of a company we have missed? Why not head to our Social Media pages –@salvosocialjustice on Facebook and Instagram – and tag us in a picture with the details.
Hoppy Easter every-bunny!
Captain Alexis McKeand is a Policy & Social Justice Adviser for The Salvation Army Australia, and a Chaplain in the Royal Australian Air Force
*The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Salvation Army
[1] https://foodispower.org/human-labor-slavery/slavery-chocolate/
Salvo Social Justice 