Someone once said “chocolate is cheaper than therapy,” and for us chocolate devotees, we’ve found that to be true. 

Chocolate, to many, is medicine; heavenly food that can cure any heartache, bad days or emotional pain. But let’s admit it; not all chocolate is made equal – both in quality and method. Here are three ethical and sustainable chocolate brands on our radar that will bring you as close as you can get to the cacao beans which make up your favourite chocolate bar. 

Endangered Species Chocolate

“The Good Stuff Paired With A Good Cause,” the brand’s motto really sums up their luscious mission. Endangered Species Chocolate, an Indianapolis-based chocolate company, crafts each of their chocolate bars with responsibly sourced ingredients – think fairtrade and traceable cocoa beans from farmers in West Africa as well as fairtrade vanilla, cane sugar, California-grown almonds, organic caramel and American-grown berries. Another impressive aspect of choosing Endangered Species Chocolate is that you get to support wildlife as 10% of their annual net profits are donated to conservation organizations. 

Heirloom Cacao Preservation (HCP)

On a mission to preserve heirloom cacao trees and to better the lives of cacao farming communities, Heirloom Cacao Preservation is not merely about making the world’s favourite treat. 

“HCP’s mission to identify and preserve fine flavour Heirloom cacao for the preservation of biological diversity and the empowerment of farming communities is now more important than ever as the world grapples with a rapidly changing climate,” said Jacob Marlin, HCP President. 

Instead of buying a chocolate bar, HCP welcomes you to adopt or give a cacao tree to HCP designees, as a way to financially sustain and support small cacao farms and to keep cacao diverse and its production sustainable. In return, adopters/donors will also receive chocolate bars from the Heirloom family farmers each year. 

Loving Earth 

Love chocolate, love the earth. Right from the start, Melbourne-based Loving Earth set out on a scrumptious and sustainable mission to produce chocolate bars crafted with only organic and fairtrade/direct-trade Amazonico Criollo Cacao Beans grown by the Asháninka community in the Peruvian Amazonia. In collaboration with The Rainforest Foundation, Loving Earth was able to support the Asháninka people in creating Kemito Ene, the community’s very own social enterprise. Loving Earth’s chocolate is also plant-based, cane sugar-free and gluten-free, making it a perfect choice for everyone.