Sweet like chocolate
Chocolate lovers can now satisfy their sweet tooth and help protect the environment, thanks to The Chocolate Truffle Company and their new 48g Chocolate bar containing cocoa sourced from a Rainforest Alliance CertifiedTM farm. The Essex-based chocolate company hand makes all its delicious chocolate truffles and bars, and can now offer customers something new as well as guaranteeing that the beans have been grown and harvested responsibly.
The recently launched bar named “Costa Rica 64,” is produced from Costa Rican Trinitario Cocoa Beans sourced from a Rainforest Alliance Certified farm.
Rich on dark chocolate, the bar is part of the new trend where chocolate connoisseurs are opting for handmade ethical products rather than the high street brands.
The Chocolate Truffle Company is an online business that provides hand made specialist chocolate. They have identified that their corporate customers are now seeking goods that are not only ethical but are in line with their corporate and social responsibility.
As the demand for chocolate in the UK outstrips supply in Europe, USA and Japan, The Chocolate Truffle Company hopes to create awareness of the conservation of ecosystems. Christine Moss explains more; “We are very excited about offering great tasting chocolate that is also good for the environment thanks to the Rainforest Alliance Certified programme. We feel that consumers will notice the difference.”
Farmers who have earned the Rainforest Alliance CertifiedTM seal have to meet comprehensive environmental and social standards, developed by the Rainforest Alliance and other conservation groups that make up the Sustainable Agriculture Network. The farmers must take action to conserve natural resources, protect the welfare of workers and put into place more efficient management practices.
The Rainforest Alliance Certified programme currently involves some 6,000 farmers and their families and ensures around 50,000 acres of cocoa is being grown in harmony with the environment.
The new chocolate range fits in with the ever changing confectionary market. A survey conducted by Mintel show that our tastes for chocolate are getting more demanding and as a result the ‘super premium chocolate market has increased by 85% since 2001.’ Critics are describing the bar as “the Noir Chocolate delivers an exquisite bitter aroma with a strong flavour and is full of character.”
Protecting Sensitive Eco Systems
Rainforest Alliance Certified farms help to conserve sensitive ecosystems where cocoa is cultivated. This is very important, because as in many places in the world, the cocoa in Costa Rica is often cultivated under the shade of native canopy trees on a landscape similar to that of a natural forest. The cocoa plant is protected by the forest and provides a habit for plant, animal and bird species.
You can find out more about the Chocolate Truffles’ new ethical products and the Rainforest Alliance by visiting Thechocolatetrufflecompany.co.uk.
About the Rainforest Alliance
The Rainforest Alliance is an independent, international non-profit NGO that works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behaviour. The Rainforest Alliance pioneered the practice of setting standards and certifying well-managed forests nearly 20 years ago, and developed comprehensive principles and standards for sustainable agriculture shortly thereafter. For more information visit: Rainforest-alliance.org.
The Rainforest Alliance CertifiedTM seal appears on products that comply with the standards of the Sustainable Agriculture Network (a group of NGOs of which the Rainforest Alliance serves as the Secretariat) and should not be confused with any other certification mark or product label. Care should be taken when referring to labels generically, as terms such as ethical, fair, or sustainable have specific meanings within the scope of each label’s approach to improving the social and environmental impact of business and commerce.
