Tony’s chocolate a fave all round!
Some of ACRATH’s favourite chocolate makers have topped the charts again in this year’s Be Slavery Free 5th Chocolate Scorecard. The scorecard, which includes 63 companies, has given Tony’s Chocolonely a very high rating and many of the people who participated in ACRATH’s Easter chocolate Indulge Responsibly campaign, echoed that score.
The Be Slavery Free scorecard here rates the chocolate companies in six areas, including: living income, child labour, traceability and transparency and pesticides. There were some encouraging changes since last year’s 4th annual scorecard, but there’s a long way to go. In summary: When it comes to paying a living wage, most believe it is a human right, but only six companies are paying a living wage to cocoa bean farmers; child labour is still being used, too much pesticide is still being used, but there is increased traceability across companies.
Each year the scorecard names select companies that are leading in different areas and this year the winners are:
- Tony’s Chocolonely—the Achievement Award for being a leader and attaining green (industry leader) status five years in a row!
- Ritter – for overall best practices for a large chocolate company.
- Original Beans and Beyond Good tied for best overall practices for a small chocolate company.
- Chocolate Makers for the Innovation Award.
- Lidl and Pladis joint winners for the Gender Award for innovation in supporting females in cocoa growing.
ACRATH’s Ange Duthie said supporters sent photos of themselves with their slavery-free chocolate, and many featured Tony’s Chocoloney products and Australia’s own Haigh’s Chocolates and Chocolatier Australia.
“We know that people are spreading the word and sharing with others through our social media, which saw a massive increase in the days leading up to Easter Sunday. More than ever, the free poster and resources proved popular—we had so many printed and distributed very widely,”.
“A lot of organisations look to ACRATH to produce resources which they then distribute, and we are excited with these collaborations which are across the community, such as Xavier College in Victoria, parishes in South Australia, CathNews, and Catholic agencies including Catholic Social Services Victoria and Catholic Religious Australia.”
Ange said
According to Be Slavery Free, “The chocolate industry is undergoing significant change, but certain aspects, such as farmer poverty, remain unchanged despite being a longstanding issue. It is essential that the chocolate industry continues to prioritize sustainability, fair labour practices, and environmental conservation. This includes ensuring fair compensation for farmers, promoting responsible sourcing practices, reducing pesticide use, and safeguarding against child labour, any forced labour and deforestation.”
“Moreover, the chocolate industry has the resources to address these challenges. It is powerful and lucrative. Consumption is around 1 kg for each person on the planet – that is 7.7 billion people! Forecasted revenue growth stands at 5.6%, surpassing global economic growth estimates of 2.6%. In 2024, it is expected to generate around US$254 billion.”
Ange said many of the issues around chocolate production, particularly child labour and the failure to pay farmers a living wage, seemed overwhelming, but the willingness of consumers around the world to buy ethically sourced chocolate, gave hope.To read here to find out how your favourite chocolate scored. Please note that not all chocolate companies are included in the scorecard.
