Very good dive into some specifics RE brands to trust. This is appreciated. I note that something like 6 of the 8 folks so far have mentioned more equitable supply chains; that's very encouraging.
Mikey, it is great to see you working here with Birgitte, and vice versa!
Yes sadly there's a lot of greenwashing in the chocolate sector, like everywhere else. A lot of companies bank on the fact that most people simply don't have the time to fact check, dig, and research. It's so easy to take a brand at their word. And that of course muddies the pond for all the good people doing good work. We'll be doing a lot of deep dives here. Big Chocolate, you've been warned!
Yes! These folks fully understand that there are 24 hours in a day, and that finding things out about whether a company is misleading us just doesn't even occur to many folks. They check the box and then move on.
So far I've only tried their 70% dark chocolate which I do like—will be reviewing them after the Holiday Tour. So "better" in terms of taste and flavor sure, they're better than some but my humble opinion is there are a lot of small batch artisan makers whose chocolate is much more flavorful. And 100% ethically sourced. Now given the choice between Tony's and the likes of Snickers, M&M's and other popular brands, no contest. As I said, they're helping to open up the conversation—but do need to be more transparent about their supply chains.
I guess for me when it comes to these issues, I try to not let perfect become the enemy of doing better. I think we're all bombarded these days with so many ethical choices, it's easy to decide to shut down or tune it all out. Which of course I know you are perfectly aware of!
Well said Michael. The key here is that people are talking about the cacao supply chain issues more than ever now, thanks to shows like John Oliver, all the chocolate bloggers, hopefully including TCM, of course the chocolate makers themselves, and, perhaps ironically, marketing campaigns like that of Tony's. We're all raindrops in a storm. My hope is we are able to move that needle enough to realize material positive impact on those kids in the cacao plantations.
Thanks for this education, Birgitte - had no idea that Toney’s wasn’t delivering on its promises. As you say it’s marketing has raised the conversation as it was through them I first understood the problem of Slave Chocolate, but it’s very disappointing to learn they haven’t followed through on their mission.
Thanks for asking me to be a part of your tour, and thanks for the lovely words about the newsletter! Very kind of you!
I hope Tony's can get back on the list—certainly don't want to see them vilified, but we do need to keep a close eye on the marketing. It really is a difficult problem bc the supply chain is so complex and so interwoven. You can't have your cheap chocolate and be free of forced labor too.
Hey funny tie in, there is an actual craft chocolate maker here, Mackenzies stack is The Next Batch, it’s a highly regarded school for everything cacao, she has been a big originator in the field and outspoken about the issues you discuss here, and her chocolate which is like the most delicious and innovative ever is called MAP Chocolate. Thanks for what you are doing here.
Very good dive into some specifics RE brands to trust. This is appreciated. I note that something like 6 of the 8 folks so far have mentioned more equitable supply chains; that's very encouraging.
Mikey, it is great to see you working here with Birgitte, and vice versa!
Yes sadly there's a lot of greenwashing in the chocolate sector, like everywhere else. A lot of companies bank on the fact that most people simply don't have the time to fact check, dig, and research. It's so easy to take a brand at their word. And that of course muddies the pond for all the good people doing good work. We'll be doing a lot of deep dives here. Big Chocolate, you've been warned!
Yes! These folks fully understand that there are 24 hours in a day, and that finding things out about whether a company is misleading us just doesn't even occur to many folks. They check the box and then move on.
I've recently become aware of Toney's and had wondered about it. Is it significantly better than its competitor or is it all just marketing?
So far I've only tried their 70% dark chocolate which I do like—will be reviewing them after the Holiday Tour. So "better" in terms of taste and flavor sure, they're better than some but my humble opinion is there are a lot of small batch artisan makers whose chocolate is much more flavorful. And 100% ethically sourced. Now given the choice between Tony's and the likes of Snickers, M&M's and other popular brands, no contest. As I said, they're helping to open up the conversation—but do need to be more transparent about their supply chains.
I guess for me when it comes to these issues, I try to not let perfect become the enemy of doing better. I think we're all bombarded these days with so many ethical choices, it's easy to decide to shut down or tune it all out. Which of course I know you are perfectly aware of!
Well said Michael. The key here is that people are talking about the cacao supply chain issues more than ever now, thanks to shows like John Oliver, all the chocolate bloggers, hopefully including TCM, of course the chocolate makers themselves, and, perhaps ironically, marketing campaigns like that of Tony's. We're all raindrops in a storm. My hope is we are able to move that needle enough to realize material positive impact on those kids in the cacao plantations.
Toney’s wtf?! You lied to me!
Thanks for this education, Birgitte - had no idea that Toney’s wasn’t delivering on its promises. As you say it’s marketing has raised the conversation as it was through them I first understood the problem of Slave Chocolate, but it’s very disappointing to learn they haven’t followed through on their mission.
Thanks for asking me to be a part of your tour, and thanks for the lovely words about the newsletter! Very kind of you!
My pleasure Mikey, I hope many more travelers will stop by Cosmographia as the Tour continues!
p.s. You might keep this page bookmarked—it maintains a list of companies that source 100% of their cacao ethically: https://www.slavefreechocolate.org/ethical-chocolate-companies.
I hope Tony's can get back on the list—certainly don't want to see them vilified, but we do need to keep a close eye on the marketing. It really is a difficult problem bc the supply chain is so complex and so interwoven. You can't have your cheap chocolate and be free of forced labor too.
Hey funny tie in, there is an actual craft chocolate maker here, Mackenzies stack is The Next Batch, it’s a highly regarded school for everything cacao, she has been a big originator in the field and outspoken about the issues you discuss here, and her chocolate which is like the most delicious and innovative ever is called MAP Chocolate. Thanks for what you are doing here.
Just btwn you and me.... Mackenzie and I have been talking. Stay tuned!!
Mackenzie is doing great things to elevate all aspects of humble cacao. I'm glad you mentioned her.
You were very diplomatic around the conversation regarding Toney's. Well done.
Thank you Lyn :)