From Bean to Brownie: Our Fairtrade Cocoa Unwrapped

Full of Fairtrade Goodness

Ever looked deep into a pint of Chocolate Fudge Brownie and thought about what it all means? It's gooey and delicious, but there must be something more, right? You're right, chocolate lover, there sure is. Let us take you on a journey that starts with a humble cocoa bean and ends with ice cream euphoria. Hold on for a wild ride!

 

Where the Bean Begins

Our little cocoa bean starts out where around 40% of the world's cocoa comes from: on a farm in the Ivory Coast. So far, so average. But, what makes our bean not-so-average is that unlike a lot of the cocoa here, it's produced in Fairtrade conditions.

 

What is Fairtrade, Anyway?

Fairtrade is all about small — in a big way. It's a system that ensures small-scale farmers get a fair slice of the pie by receiving an honest price for their crop that never falls below the market value.

As well as this, companies like us who buy the cocoa pay an additional sum of money known as the Fairtrade social premium. This money goes straight to the farmers and their communities in order to help improve their lives and livelihoods in any way they see fit. In 2015, we paid $510,153 in social premiums for cocoa, which went toward building a medical clinic, hiring a nurse, installing a water pump and installing a set of new solar panels!

 

Meet Our Fairtrade Farmers

Emma, a lovely farmer from Cote d'Ivoire, has seen her income increase significantly since joining a Fairtrade cooperative. Last year she was able to buy her first bed thanks to both her fair price and a better crop helped by training funded through the premium.

 

 

How the Brownies Are Made

Once our beans have been ground into cocoa, they arrive in Yonkers, New York. Here they're baked into our wonderfully fudgy brownies at Greyston Bakery, a social enterprise whose out-of-this-world treats are only part of what makes them so special. Greyston doesn't just hire people to bake brownies — they bake brownies to hire people.

Through their ground-breaking open-door hiring policy, anyone who wants a job is given the chance to work, regardless of their educational background, work history, or past social barriers. When a position becomes available, the next person on the waiting list gets it, no questions asked. This way of doing business has enabled hundreds of people to turn their lives around. And we get those fudgy brownie chunks that make Chocolate Fudge Brownie so euphoric!

 

The Fudgy Finale at the Factory

Now on to our factory, where the brownies are lovingly nestled into some of our most fudgin' delicious flavors ever, like Chocolate Fudge Brownie and Half Baked.

There's just one more character in this story - you! Next time you dig into a pint, relish in the knowledge that there's more than just brownie in those chunks - they're packed full of Fairtrade feel-good goodness too!