IS YOUR CHOCOLATE CRUELTY-FREE?

Can you feel good about the chocolate you eat?

Yes!

The cacao and chocolate industry has long been rife with human rights concerns surrounding ethical supply chains, and many consumers are still unsure about how to determine if their beloved craft chocolate products are ethical and cruelty-free.

(Spoiler alert – our chocolate has always been vegan and cruelty-free. We only use cacao that has been ethically sourced from farmers who are paid a living wage, and we will always incorporate these values into each and every vegan sweet treat we craft for you!)

With some cacao sourcing being connected to human rights abuses and child labour, it is SO important that we pay attention to where and how our favourite treats are sourced. Many organizations advocate for ethical and sustainable cacao and chocolate production, like the Food Empowerment Project. The F.E.P. looks to educate consumers about the power that our food choices can have on the world around us, including chocolate. They have compiled a list of recommended companies that make vegan chocolates using ethical processes, which Living Lotus Chocolate is proud to be included on. 

(Read more about the Food Empowerment Project and see their full chocolate list here.)

Many chocolate makers (like us!) have made the choice to use a cruelty-free supply chain in order to source cacao and produce chocolate. Unfortunately, many large chocolate conglomerates refuse to do the same in the name of profit, at the sacrifice of those who are inhumanely exploited by this industry.

So, how can you help?

Choose your chocolate wisely! Seek out and purchase from chocolate companies that have made the choice not to support harmful industry practices. Support those who care about the ethical treatment of chocolate farmers and who advocate for better industry practices as a whole. Even better, ask your favourite local chocolate makers where their beans come from. Most chocolate makers who are proud of their ethical choices will be excited to share – and we should be wary of those who aren’t willing to be transparent with where they get their cacao.

Believing in and advocating for ethical cocoa and chocolate is built into the framework of our company: clean, kind, and cruelty-free chocolate products that you can feel good about.