In June of 2019, the Washington Post published an article entitled, "Cocoa's child laborers" with the headline reading, "Hershey, Nestle, and Mars won't promise their chocolate is free of child labor". A few months later, in October 2019, Reuters published an article titled, "Made with child labor? Major chocolate companies flunk scorecard". And then, just last month (September 2020), the US Department of Labor updated their "List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor" official report and made this tragic commentary: "As the world grapples with a pandemic, forced labor and unacceptable child labor is likely to become more frequent, not less.".

     The (heartbreaking) reality that the chocolate industry is riddled with child labor, and has been for decades, is a shocking revelation to most people with whom I speak. For those of us in the Fair Trade community, this news is no longer surprising, but it never fails to be heart-wrenching. If you want to educate yourself further on slavery in the chocolate industry, I have included some links to sources at the end of this guide.

     It is now October, and we are creeping closer to one of the biggest candy seasons of the calendar year- Halloween. And as you walk the seasonal aisle of the grocery store and scroll through Amazon, you might be wondering- is there ANY ethical Halloween candy for you to buy? 

And the answer is- YES!!! 

There are fantastic, DELICIOUS, ethical chocolate and candy brands out there (I made a sacrifice and taste-tested many of them for you ;p). And with that, below is my comprehensive guide to purchasing ethical candy for the Halloween season. This guide is perfect whether you are trick-or-treating (or using the COVID-friendly & super creative Halloween candy chute) trunk-or-treating, giving candy to a classroom, giving candy to teachers, or however else you may gift candy for the Halloween season (or if you are just feeling hungry).

The Ethical Halloween Candy Guide

Below, I have split up my guide into 3 sections- ethical chocolate candy, ethical candy best for food sensitivities, and ethical non-candy food alternatives.

Ethical Chocolate Candy

Below is a list of ethical chocolate candy brands, and their websites.

• Little Secrets Chocolate- www.sharelittlesecrets.com I ADORE Little Secrets Chocolate. This is my guide, so I can be biased, right? ;)
• Theo Chocolate- www.theochocolate.com
• Unreal Chocolate- www.getunreal.com Unreal does an amazing job of taking existing popular candies and creating ethical versions. If you love M&Ms or Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, check out Unreal!
• Zazubean Chocolate- www.zazubean.com
• Divine Chocolate- www.divinechocolate.com
• Tony's Chocolonely- www.tonyschocolonely.com
• Chocopologie- www.chocopologie.com
• Endangered Species Chocolate- www.chocolatebar.com
• TCHO Chocolate- www.tcho.com TCHO's flavors are SO unique and amazing!
• Lake Champlain Chocolates- www.lakechamplainchocolates.com
• Alter Eco Chocolate- www.alterecofoods.com
• Equal Exchange- www.equalexchange.coop
• Trader Joe's Chocolate- www.traderjoes.com
• On the Rocks Chocolate- www.ontherocks.com
• Lily's Chocolate- www.lilys.com
• Chuao Chocolatier- www.chuaochocolatier.com
• Taza Chocolate- www.tazachocolate.com
• Simple Truth Organic Chocolate- www.kroger.com (this is Kroger's private label chocolate)
• Wild Ophelia Chocolate- www.wildophelia.com The Caramelized Banana Peanut Butter Cups are my FAVES
• Jelina Chocolatier- www.jelinachocolatier.com
• 

Ethical Candy good for Food Sensitivities*

*All allergen information listed below is taken directly from the brand's website. 

Below is a list of ethical candy brands that are good for different food sensitivities, and their websites. These brands are generally good for these allergies and sensitivities, but please check the packaging on each individual label for allergen info specific to that item. The call-outs below do not necessarily pertain to all of the products carried by that brand.

• Vegan
• Unreal Chocolate- www.getunreal.com
• Zazubean Chocolate- www.zazubean.com
• Lake Champlain Chocolates- www.lakechamplainchocolates.com
• Project 7- www.project7.com
• Gluten Free
• Unreal Chocolate- www.getunreal.com
• Project 7- www.project7.com
• Peanut and Tree Nut Free
• Wholesome Sweet- www.wholesomesweet.com
• No Sugar Added
• Lily's Chocolate- www.lilys.com
• Zazubean Chocolate- www.zazubean.com
• No Artificial Ingredients or Flavors
• Little Secrets- www.sharelittlesecrets.com
• Wholesome Sweet- www.wholesomesweet.com
• Divine Chocolate- www.divinechocolate.com
• No High Fructose Corn Syrup
• Little Secrets- www.sharelittlesecrets.com
• Non-GMO
• Alter Eco Chocolate- www.alterecofoods.com
• Wild Ophelia Chocolate- www.wildophelia.com
• Soy-Free
• Theo Chocolate- www.theochocolate.com

Ethical Non-Candy Food

Below is a list of ethical food brands that are not candy, and their websites. This option is a good one for people who want to provide a healthier option for their children in lieu of candy.

• Brite Snack- www.britesnack.com (the Kai Trail Mix contains Fair Trade Chocolate)
• Quinn Snacks- www.quinnsnacks.com
• This Bar Saves Lives- www.thissaveslives.com
• Bark Thins- www.barkthins.com
• Equal Exchange- www.equalexchange.coop
• Bear Naked- www.bearnaked.com

I hope this guide makes your Halloween treat shopping a little easier! What is your favorite ethical candy/treat?

As promised at the beginning of the guide, below is a list of articles that detail the enslaved labor (including child labor) that is used in the chocolate industry at large:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/business/hershey-nestle-mars-chocolate-child-labor-west-africa/

https://nowtoronto.com/news/chocolate-child-labour-slavery-hersheys

https://www.motherjones.com/food/2018/10/halloween-candy-hidden-ingredient-chocolate-child-slave-labor-nestle-mars-cargill/

https://www.foxnews.com/story/cocoa-farms-to-miss-deadline-to-cease-child-labor

https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2015/05/26/chocolate-child-slaves-ivory-coast-spc-cfp.cnn

https://news.trust.org/item/20191010221033-9mcxc/

https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ILAB/child_labor_reports/tda2019/2020_TVPRA_List_Online_Final.pdf