It may be the most expensive chocolate you’ll taste – but if you have strong ethics then you might want to take a punt on some carbon-neutral chocolate.
There are actually a range of both Fairtrade and organically grown chocolate products to choose from now on the market – so we take a look at how this tasty new concept works and whether it’s worth the extra cash.
What is carbon neutral chocolate?
Among the options you can choose from in terms of ethical chocolate are: organic chocolate that has been grown by a group of Grenadian peasant farmers on a solar-powered farm and then transported across to Europe with a sailing ship that does not use an engine.
This batch of 24,000 bars of chocolate is set to arrive in the UK this week on a 32ton square-rigged sailing cargo ship made from wood; and while the environmental impact of growing, transporting and processing this chocolate may be very low, the retail price is certainly eye-catching. A 100g bar of the Gru Grococo will sell at a price of £12.95 – although if bought while it is still at sea you could pick up six bars for around £60. That’s effectively £1.50 per mouthful.
It will be sold online and is thought to be the most expensive chocolate in Britain, although it is also likely to be the only carbon-neutral chocolate available. In addition, with every bar that is bought, 60-70 per cent of the retail price goes to the growers: which compares very favourably to how much the growers would earn from conventional chocolate.
The chocolate travels on the Tres Hombres ship, which can carry around 30tonnes of goods each time it travels across the Atlantic: it can travel several times a year. It has previously been used to send aid to Haiti and for rum and fruit shipments.
What if you don’t want to spend so much?
If you have a sweet tooth but don’t think the price of carbon neutral chocolate is all that tasty then you may be interested in a Chocolate Trading voucher code from Moneysaver.
The company is currently offering eight per cent off all orders – but this offer will expire at the end of the month on May 31, 2012. It offers everything from chocolate and champagne; to chocolate boxes; chocolate hampers; hot drinking chocolate; and a range of fun chocolate gifts for both him and her. You can even shop based on a range of categories including: organic products; as well as alcohol free chocolate; dairy free; wheat and gluten free; and no added sugar.