What didn’t get mentioned is the source of the cacao, which is sadly a product of child slavery in most, but not all of Africa. All the major producers are complicit in this and find clever ways to pretend they care without doing anything. Chocolate couldn’t be so cheap otherwise. Please please address this as so many people just aren’t aware.
I wrote a separate article about this very issue Shannon: https://cacaomuse.substack.com/p/how-dark-do-you-like-your-halloween (there's an embedded link in it that will take you to the full essay on OK Doomer). Yes, this is a massive issue, and one that I'm actively watching and working with a few people on ways to mitigate, so watch this space! Thank you for bringing it up here. And to clarify why the source isn't mentioned in this particular piece—it's a list of ingredients, without going into the details of where each one is typically sourced, as that would make it impossibly long.
You'll be delighted to hear that one of our upcoming featured writers on the Holiday Tour is someone very, very close to the African labor issue.
That article was excellent and written in a way that everyday people can understand and yet no shaming, which is not productive. Thank you. Mostly all we can do is not buy those products, there are many good choices out there, and continue to try to educate people. You are a voice, a part of the solution.
Great analysis. Where would you place the cocoa butter? It is often added to smooth the texture. Is it in Good? in Bad?
Salut Alain! Cacao butter is up there in the "Good" section :).
What didn’t get mentioned is the source of the cacao, which is sadly a product of child slavery in most, but not all of Africa. All the major producers are complicit in this and find clever ways to pretend they care without doing anything. Chocolate couldn’t be so cheap otherwise. Please please address this as so many people just aren’t aware.
I wrote a separate article about this very issue Shannon: https://cacaomuse.substack.com/p/how-dark-do-you-like-your-halloween (there's an embedded link in it that will take you to the full essay on OK Doomer). Yes, this is a massive issue, and one that I'm actively watching and working with a few people on ways to mitigate, so watch this space! Thank you for bringing it up here. And to clarify why the source isn't mentioned in this particular piece—it's a list of ingredients, without going into the details of where each one is typically sourced, as that would make it impossibly long.
You'll be delighted to hear that one of our upcoming featured writers on the Holiday Tour is someone very, very close to the African labor issue.
That article was excellent and written in a way that everyday people can understand and yet no shaming, which is not productive. Thank you. Mostly all we can do is not buy those products, there are many good choices out there, and continue to try to educate people. You are a voice, a part of the solution.