As bakers and food producers, it’s important to know what’s going on in the world around us. Especially when it’s about the state and future of our ingredients.

In the late 1990s, some of the stakeholders in the cocoa industry realized crops were at risk due to pests, disease and the fragile tropical ecosystem. They realized that for a bright future for chocolate, environmental, social and economic factors would need to be addressed. Thus, the sustainable cocoa sector emerged.

What goes into a sustainable chocolate program?

A few things it should include are:

• Social responsibility and the protection of human rights
• Environmental responsibility
• Education and training of cacao farmers on good agricultural practices for cacao growth
• Cooperation programs to bring farmers and industrial chocolate processors together
• Fair cacao trade practices
• Fair labor practices

Why go with sustainable chocolate?

Well for one thing, it has the same functionality in baked goods as conventionally grown chocolate.  Another benefit: more consumers are interested in fair-trade products. In fact, studies show younger generations are more likely to pay higher prices for products with a high content of ethical attributes.