When people ask me why I care so much about the social justice issues surrounding chocolate, particularly issues of child slavery and worst forms of child labor as well as environmental issues associated with the destruction of virgin forests throughout West Africa, my usual answer has been associated with a course that I taught as a professor at California State Polytechnic University. However, recently I have re-thought that answer and decided that my mother Dorothy accounts for at least 50% of the reason for my passions. This podcast is a conversation with my mother.
And as always, just four news items regarding our progress. Item 1: SOCOPLAN, the agricultural cooperative in Depa, will export its first shipment of peeled cocoa beans and unsweetened chocolate to The Chocolate Chamber, a chocolate business located in Cebu City, Philippines. Item 2: Project Hope and Fairness is also sending samples of chocolate, cocoa powder, and cocoa butter to eight major donors connected to Project Redwood, which supported the purchase of machinery for both cooperatives. Item 3: Our second partnering cooperative, SCAP, located in Pezoan, has received the tempering machine purchased with Project Redwood money, and is working on sending me a box of 50 wrapped bars in five different flavors, the first step toward selling village-produced chocolate bars in Europe. And Item 4: The website for European sales is espoir-equite.fr; by the end of this year, it is my plan that 90% of the items sold on espoir-equite website will be made and wrapped for sale by these two cooperatives.
Please consider donating to the cause. We are making progress! We expect 2023 to be a grand year. But we can't do it without you. Sending machinery, paying customs, and traveling to West Africa to make cooperatives succeed costs money. Our mission is succeeding, thanks to your donations.
To donate, go to www.projecthopeandfairness.org and scroll down to Donate at the bottom, then click on any of the donate buttons. It all goes into the same kitty. Or, send a check to:
DONATIONS, PH&F
1298 Warren road
93428 Cambria, CA
Thank You!
Write to me at tom@projecthopeandfairness.org
To learn more, visit www.projecthopeandfairness.org