Fair trade brand strengthens economic democracy with chocolate
Last updated 8/26/2010 8:51:30 AM
Fair trade brand strengthens economic democracy with chocolate
Equal Exchange, the US's leading Fair Trade brand, partnered-up with a new farmer co-operative in Ecuador to produce one of its two new chocolate bars to combine quality organic ingredients with Swiss craftsmanship and sourced in socially and environmentally responsible methods.
Equal Exchange has launched: Organic Ecuador Dark Chocolate (65% cocoa content) and Organic Chocolate Caramel Crunch with Sea Salt (55%).
A pioneer in Fair Trade since 1986, Equal Exchange is an award-winning full service, nationwide provider of high qualorganic coffee, tea, chocolate, cocoa, healthy snacks and bananas.
100% of Equal Exchange products are fairly traded, benefiting more than 40 small farmer co-operatives in 22 countries. Equal Exchange is a worker co-operative, owned and governed by its 110 employees. Equal Exchange operates offices, warehouses and/or cafes in Massachusetts, Minnesota, Washington, and Oregon.
The Organic Ecuador Dark Chocolate is Equal Exchange's second single-origin bar – last year the Panama Extra Dark (80% cocoa) bar was launched. The new bar is made with chocolate liquor from a new Equal Exchange partner, the Fortaleza del Valle co-operative in Ecuador, cocoa butter from a co-operative in the Dominican Republic, and fairly traded organic sugar.
The Organic Chocolate Caramel Crunch with Sea Salt is made with cacao from the CONACADO co-operative in the Dominican Republic and the CACVRA co-operative in Peru, and with fairly traded organic sugar from a Paraguayan small-farmer co-operative.
They now join the over 40 farmer co-operatives around the world who already partner with Equal Exchange to bring Fair Trade coffee, tea, chocolate, snacks and bananas to market.
The Ecuadoran bar is vegan. Both bars are kosher, gluten-free and soy-free. Equal Exchange's organic, Fair Trade cocoa-based products include nine 3.5 oz bars ranging from 38% to 80% cocoa content, bite-size .16 oz chocolate 'minis', hot cocoa mix, spicy hot cocoa mix, and drinking chocolate. www.EqualExchange.coop