A lonely fight against child slavery in the chocolate industry

Have you tried Tony’s Chocolonely? Beyond the high quality and great taste, there is something else about Tony’s Chocolonely that sets it far apart from other chocolatiers: Tony’s is 100% free of exploitation.  

Tony’s is committed to making ethical practices the norm in the chocolate industry. When we sit down to enjoy a chocolate bar, we often do not consider the human cost of chocolate production. According to the Global Slavery Index, over 50 million individuals are trapped in modern-day slavery, and the chocolate industry participates in this exploitation. 

In 2003, Dutch journalist Teun van de Keuken brought the issue of forced labor to the public’s eye through his investigative reporting of the cocoa industry. Despite facing resistance from major chocolate companies, Tuen and his team took matters into their own hands. They created 5,000 Fairtrade, traceable milk chocolate bars that were 100% slavery-free. These bars, named “Tony’s Chocolonely,” were intended as a one-time initiative but proved to be highly successful and led to the birth of the brand. 

We’re honored to stock a wide selection of Tony’s Chocolonely at the Co-op. Learn more about Tony’s Chocolonely and their bold mission in this short video.