…you never know what you’re going to get (especially if you’re a cocoa farmer).

For example, you might get squirrels eating your cocoa pods. Angel Santos, a Fairtrade cocoa farmer with the Norandino Cooperative in Peru, explains: “Squirrels originally lived higher up in the mountains, but due to climate change and changing temperatures, they don't have enough food in their native habitat and have become a pest in my field.” But why are we telling you about squirrels eating cocoa beans? Because climate change connects the realities of cocoa farmers around the world, from Peru to West Africa—and climate change is a big factor behind sky-rocketing cocoa prices.

Cocoa prices peaked in April when they reached *triple* the cost of cocoa at this time last year. Why such a drastic increase in price? It’s the result of erratic weather events and cocoa swollen shoot virus, compounded by years of chronically underpaying cocoa farmers which has made it incredibly difficult for farmers to invest in the resiliency and productivity of their farms. That is to say, cocoa harvests have been *really* low this year--like, 40-50% lower than normal in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana (the two countries that grow 60% of the world’s cocoa). So, even with startlingly high prices, lower quantities of product to sell means that not all cocoa farmers are making bank. And to be clear, these startlingly high prices are an anomaly. In Côte d'Ivoire, the Fairtrade Minimum Price (a price floor to help buffer against crashing prices) has been activated in seven of the last ten cocoa harvests.

Climate change is coming to farmers in all sorts of forms, from migrating squirrels to unpredictable rainy seasons, and it’s in a nasty feedback loop with market volatility. Want a future with chocolate in it? Choose Fairtrade--because people and planet are the only viable way forward.

Welcome to a new Fairtrade brand partner!

Twins Love Chocolate specializes in dark-chocolate nut-butter cups, and there’s a lot to love about this brand:

❤️ Will and Nancy Nunez, the founders of Twins Love, hail from the Dominican Republic--which is also where they’re sourcing their Fairtrade cocoa from! They chose Fairtrade because they have a profound respect for farmers in the DR and want their business to be a supportive partner to the communities whose labor and knowledge make unparalleled flavor possible.

❤️Four flavors! Hazelnut, cashew, almond, and peanut butter, all enveloped in 70% cacao chocolate.

❤️ These nut butter cups are made with just six simple ingredients and are handcrafted in Florida.

Who are the twins of Twins Love? Gianna and Gianni, the kiddos of the Nancy and Will…but they’re not the only ones who love these chocolates! So, order yourself--and someone YOU love--a bag today!

What We’re (Ethically) Consuming

• The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season will be 'extraordinary,' forecasters warn — On average, the Atlantic hurricane season sees 14 storms per year. This year forecasters expect 17 to 25 storms to form—and 4 to 7 are expected to be major hurricanes with winds powerful enough to uproot trees, destroy mobile homes and damage other buildings.
• The Editor Who Fought to Publish Julia Child When No One Else Would — In 1959, publishers looked down upon cookbooks. But when the book editor Judith Jones came across an unknown writer named Julia Child, she knew she was onto something big.
• Strapped for cash, college undergraduates form labor unions — Undergraduate student employees are increasingly following the decade-old path of their graduate brethren in forming labor unions to secure higher pay and better benefits at their colleges and universities.