Dutch brand Tony’s Chocolonely is about two things: making epic choccy bars (the dark milk pretzel toffee…if you know, you know) and making all chocolate 100% slave-free. 60% of the world’s cocoa is produced in Ghana and Ivory Coast where on average farmers earn less than a euro a day, meaning they are living in extreme poverty. 1.56 million children are also working in illegal conditions and 30,000 people are victims of modern slavery in the cocoa supply chain.
By keeping the price of cocoa low, big chocolate companies are making massive profits and perpetuating the cycle of unequal division in the industry. This is represented in the way Tony’s Chocolonely bars are shaped – yes they’re deliberately hard to break up evenly – so that’s something to think about when your chomping on your choccy.
As well as leading the way by investing in farmer cooperatives in Ghana and Ivory Coast, using traceable cocoa to ensure that it has been produced fairly and committing long-term to paying a higher price for cocoa, Tony’s Chocolonely raises awareness to show that chocolate can be made this way on a successful commercial level. And they’re not afraid to call out other brands in the process.
Tony’s Chocolonely has just launched the Sweet Solution campaign to highlight the fact that 20 years after the industry pledged to eradicate child labour, it’s still happening on a big scale. They’ve created four limited-edition lookalike bars with some very familiar branding and flavours, including wafer strips, nougat pyramids and caramel biscuits, but made the Tony’s way to prove that it can be done. All the profits from the bars are going to 100WEEKS, a platform that helps women escape the cycle of extreme poverty.
Sign the Tony’s petition to demand human rights legislation in the chocolate industry and keep buying their chocolate bars to help make a difference – yes eating as much Tony’s choc as possible is actively encouraged and that’s something we can get on board with!