It’s been two years since I wrote about buying fair-trade Halloween chocolate, so it seemed like it was time to revisit the subject.
What I Found (or Didn’t Find) in Target
The bad news is that the landscape in my local stores hasn’t really changed. You can still buy bags of Justin’s mini peanut butter cups at Target, but at about 3.5 3-piece servings per bag, you’ll have to buy a lot of bags. You’ll find them in Target’s regular candy aisle, not the Halloween section. Certain flavors of Dove dark chocolate are Rain Forest Alliance-certified, so you could go that route. Dove just seems like an “adult” candy — probably because it’s marketed to women.
What’s Available Online
At first it looked like there wasn’t much to report regarding the online landscape either. You can still buy Endangered Species Bug Bites, but you’ll have to get them through Amazon.com. Equal Exchange still sells minis, but they no longer appear to offer “Halloween kits,” which included coupons you could give to the parents of trick-or-treaters. Divine Chocolate still offers minis and larger “snack” bars.
And then, as I was searching for something — anything! — new, I ran across a wonderful blog post on making Halloween more sustainable. The blogger’s first tip includes some new ideas for Halloween candies. I’ve tried the first candy she mentioned, Sjaak’s organic chocolates. I agree that they’re delicious. I’ve also had Alter-Eco. She suggests getting candy bars, but if you’re going to buy Alter-Eco, I recommend the truffles. Like Dove Promises, however, these seem a little “adult.” I’ve never run across Ocho or Go Max Go; both look like intriguing possibilities.
I’m disappointed that it’s so hard to find fun-sized fair-trade chocolate in major stores, but we do have options. If you order your candy soon, you’ll have it in plenty of time for Halloween. Just don’t eat it all before the holiday!