x24,Top3,TopLeft,x25,x12
View and Vote
a discovery company

Give Organic, Fair-Trade Sweets for Your Sweet

Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA

Jasmin Malik Chua

By Jasmin Malik Chua
Jersey City, NJ, USA | Sun Mar 23 17:21:00 GMT 2008

valentines-chocolate.jpg


Getty Images

It's T-1 days to Valentine's Day, and The Green Guide has a list of what last-minute lovebirds should look for in their chocolatey expressions of amore. Here's a breakdown:

1. Certified organic: Chocolates grown with the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers simply don't reek of romance. Choose candy certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Organic Program (the primary organic certifier in the United States), or a USDA-accredited certified (such as Quality Assurance International), to free your love from any toxic taint. 2. Fair trade: A fair-trade-certified label means that the cacao beans were purchased directly from the growers or a co-op of growers at a price higher than the commodity market rate. Certification also ensures that the price paid per pound of beans never fails below 10 cents more than the current market price, while imposing environmental-protection standards on growers, including a ban on the most hazardous pesticides and the use of sustainable growing practices. Child slavery, folks? Not hot.

Rainforest Alliance: The Rainforest Alliance (RA) focuses on how farms are managed, covering all aspects of production, such as environmental protection, worker rights, and the welfare and interests of the local community. To get certified under its umbrella, at least 40 percent of the cacao-growing plantation has to be covered in shade at all times. (Learn how this benefits wildlife preservation.)

Note, however, that the RA allows the use of some agrochemicals when pest-related damages would be greater than the farmer could cope with economically. Pesticides that are banned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the European Union, however, are prohibited. One caveat: Only a minimum of 30 percent certified content is required for products to display the RA label, although retailers are required to state just how much on their products. ::The Green Guide

Difficulty level: Easy

 
  • email
  • digg
  • share
  • print
helpful article? vote for it
{ }
close window

CLOSE X

 

comments on this article

view all post a comment

 
 
 
 
Emeril Kelly and Supper Club Recipes by Category
 
 
facebook twitter rss
 
Reel Impact
 
Quiz
 
organic-az
 
Less is More Thanksgiving
 

tv schedule

view all

On Now

On Tonight

 

today on planet green

view all

Votes

recent
discussed

Emeril's White Sangria
POSTED  7 HOURS AGO.  COMMENTS

{ }

Show Off Before You Give: Submit Your Best DIY Holiday Gifts
POSTED  7 HOURS AGO.  COMMENTS

{ }

Emeril Green Episode: Full Circle Farming
POSTED  8 HOURS AGO.  COMMENTS

{ }

Vote for the Best Agent of Change in the BBC World Challenge '09
POSTED  9 HOURS AGO.  COMMENTS

{ }

Emeril's Poblano Chili Stew
POSTED  9 HOURS AGO.  COMMENTS

{ }

Ask Emeril Your Green Cooking Questions
POSTED  7 Apr 2009. 48 COMMENTS.

{477}

How To Go Green: Lighting
POSTED  23 Jul 2008. 7 COMMENTS.

{214}

Should You Get a Flu Shot?
POSTED  1 Oct 2009. 3 COMMENTS.

{19}

Renovation Nation FAQ
POSTED  7 May 2009. 13 COMMENTS.

{142}

Do Zoos and Captive Breeding Really Help Endangered Species or Address Habitat Loss?
POSTED  23 Oct 2009. 4 COMMENTS.

{28}

 
 
TLC Cooking
 

Ads by Google