Recently the need has emerged for me to provide a deeper explanation of why we promote our chocolate sourcing using the terminology “Slavery Free Chocolate”. Human rights violations are rife within the cacao industry and our desire is to not be complicit in those crimes. Rather, we have chosen to spend our purchasing dollars with a supplier who rejects these deplorable practices and cultivates equitable partnerships with organic cacao farmers in countries with better human rights track records in cacao, namely Dominican Republic and Peru. In the interest of transparency, all our chocolate ingredients are manufactured in Italy by ICAM.
Ingredient sourcing has been the cornerstone upon which I built Love’s Ice Cream in 2013. From whom do we source our ingredients? How are these ingredients grown and processed? Are these suppliers good corporate citizens? All of these factors are woven into the fabric of our brand identity and existence. They are of great importance. This is a huge part of our why.
I understand that someone without any knowledge of the injustices in the cacao industry could be confused by our use of the words “slavery free” in relation to the chocolate we use in our ice cream and confectionery. However, I do not understand how these words could be offensive to anyone unless no reflection and/or inquiry were performed. If anything, should it not provoke curiosity rather than rebuke? Upon learning more, should it not embolden us to use more discernment when choosing where we purchase chocolate and products containing chocolate or cocoa?
We will continue to promote our usage of organic chocolate that is sourced ethically, which does not carry the hidden insidious trappings of the global cacao industry at large. I am certain no supply chain is perfect. But I am equally certain we are sourcing with integrity (in all we do, not limited to chocolate).
I welcome any questions or concerns regarding our chocolate sourcing or usage of specific terminology; feel free to reach out via email on the contact page on this site.
This excerpt is taken from the homepage of slavefreechocolate.org, where we are listed as a reputable supplier of chocolate that is not mired in slave labor practices:
“The U.S. Department of Labor announced in December of 2020 that 1.6 million children are working illegally and a percentage of those children have been trafficked in and held as slaves.
These children are vulnerable to brutal labor practices, including trafficking and slavery.
Candy companies–including but not limited to Mars, Nestlé, Hershey, Cargill, Cadbury, Mondelēz and Barry Callebaut–have admitted accountability and promised to remedy this situation. Sadly, 20 years has passed since this agreement and the numbers of exploited children has only increased.
Additionally, the abject poverty these farmers are forced to endure in has also resulted in deforestation of sensitive and important national forests.
The candy industry is a US $100-billion-dollar industry. It should have changed.”
Part of our ethos is knowing better and then doing better. That’s the path we’ve always been on and, frankly, what makes us such an outlier in a world full of commoditized hyper-processed food.
I appreciate you taking a moment to read this and for the support you have given Love’s in the past. The future is bright if we approach it with less cynicism while still holding higher expectations and standards.
Chris McKellar
Owner
Love’s Ice Cream & Chocolate