When I explored the topic of fair-trade Halloween chocolate last year, there wasn’t much available in stores, but there were some good options online. What’s changed in 2019?
First the Bad News
Target still offers virtually no fair-trade options. This year you can find Dove pumpkins in their Halloween candy section, but they didn’t appear to be Rainforest Alliance-certified.
It also appears that Endangered Species has stopped manufacturing Bug Bites. I found exactly one case each of milk chocolate and dark chocolate Bug Bites on Amazon. That’s a pity, because they were perfect for Halloween.
It’s also disappointing to see that some of the options trotted out as fair-trade Halloween candy are targeted more toward adult tastes. From my experience offering tastings at anti-slavery chocolate parties, I know that most children prefer either milk chocolate or dark chocolate with lower cocoa content. Fancy bean-to-bar minis with cocoa content that may be as high as 77% aren’t going to be a hit with many trick-or-treaters. It’s bad enough that we have to offer chocolates they may not recognize and therefore may shy away from. Let’s not offer them chocolate that will be too bitter for their tastes.
Now the Good News
Many of the treats I mentioned last year are still available, including:
Unless you are able to find these candies at a store near you, you will have to order them online.
Also, in a “why didn’t I think of this before” moment, I decided to check out Lake Champlain Chocolates, and they have Halloween-sized treats.
The best news of all is that Tony’s Chocolonely is offering “Tiny Tony’s” for Halloween. If you’ve watched The Chocolate Case, you know that fair-trade chocolate isn’t always as fair as we’d like to believe and that Tony’s is working hard to become truly slave-free. These are chocolates you can be proud to offer on Halloween — both ethical and tasty.
Here’s hoping that someday I won’t have to recommend fair-trade Halloween chocolate, because you’ll be able to find it easily wherever you shop!