As we all know, chocolate is absurdly delicious. Rich, creamy and “choc” full of antioxidants—it’s no wonder the ancient Mayan civilization referred to it as the, “food of the Gods.”

But self-indulgence comes with a hefty price tag—chocolate is truly bitter sweet. According to Treehugger.com “most chocolate sold in the U.S. comes from cocoa farms where farmers work in unsafe conditions, receive below poverty wages, many of them children under 14 years old who are forced to work and denied education.”

In addition to labor and humanitarian injustices, cocoa bean production is responsible for several environmental problems. The majority of the world’s cocoa farmers use large amounts of pesticides to ensure a better yield. These pesticides can cause great environmental damage from soil erosion to local ground water contamination.

To avoid guilt associated chocolate cravings (well, you’ll still get them) consider organic and fair trade chocolate. More on specific brands next post.

Posted on December 16th, 2007 by Olivia Zaleski