United Methodists and Fair Traded Chocolate

October 16th, 2008

Fairly traded chocolate is all treat and no trick for United Methodists wanting to put their faith into action this Halloween.

The United Methodist Committee on Relief and the United Methodist Board of Church and Society are partnering with Equal Exchange, a Massachusetts-based cooperative operated on fair trade practices, to raise awareness about the topic this Oct. 31.

Fairly traded products provide small-scale farmers a fair living wage and an opportunity to break out of the cycle of poverty.

The three organizations have created a Halloween resource to increase awareness about the Equal Exchange Interfaith Program, UMCOR Coffee Project and the need to advocate with “wallets and voices” for better working conditions and prices for cocoa farmers throughout the world.

This Halloween, with orders of fairly traded mini chocolates and trick-or-treat bags from the Equal Exchange Interfaith Store, customers receive 300 postcards with educational information about cocoa and ways to make an impact on the chocolate industry. Orders should be placed by Oct. 17 to guarantee delivery by Halloween.

“Chocolate should be a source of joy for all children, including those where chocolate’s main ingredient, cocoa, is grown,” the postcard reads. “Yet, it isn’t.”

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Entry Filed under: Spiritual