Divine chocolate is one the latest products to be awarded the Fair Trade Mark and it uses cocoa beans  from Ghana. Divine is the first Fair Trade-Marked chocolate bar to be launched directly into supermarkets and is now available in 150g bars from Tesco, Co-op, and Iceland stores.

Fair Trade supports poor people who face disadvantages but are working to overcome them through their own efforts. Fair Trade is about giving poor people power, by paying producers a fair price for their work and by strengthening their hand in trading relationships. Fair Trade means that many of the people who rely on selling crafts and textiles for a living; or who produce food items such as tea, coffee, cocoa, or honey, now have the chance to work their way out of poverty.

Organisations such as Oxfam GB have been trading fairly for years. Consumers have come to trust these organisations because they were set up to alleviate poverty and give producers in developing countries a fair deal. In order to encourage mainstream traders to adopt Fair Trade principles, the Fair Trade Mark was established by an organisation called the Fairtrade Foundation. The Fair Trade Mark is an independent consumer guarantee that Third World producers get a better deal. Products carrying the Fair Trade Mark are widely available in supermarkets, wholefood shops, Oxfam shops and other quality outlets in the UK.

You can find out more about cocoa and Fair Trade in the Chokky Bikkies activity in the schools section.