Vegan Chocolate and Why You Need to Buy Fair Trade
Did you know how important it is to buy fair trade chocolate, and vegan chocolate is readily accessible? A lot of darker chocolate is actually vegan if you know what to look for when reading the label. Another thing when taking a closer look for the fair trade symbol. Here is more on what vegan chocolate is and how to buy it fair trade.
What is Vegan Chocolate?
Vegan chocolate is any chocolate that is made without ingredients that come from animals.
Various ingredients, such as milk, are sometimes added to create the final product. The best choice in chocolate is one with few ingredients. A typical chocolate bar should include chocolate liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, and vanilla. High-quality dark chocolate is a great option for vegans. Look for chocolate with a cacao content of 50% or more. The higher cacao percentage indicates a higher chocolate content and less fillers.
Dark chocolate can have a bitter taste so, look for chocolate with vegan-friendly additions such as almonds, dried fruit, or mint. Caramel, peanut butter, truffle, or toffee filled chocolates, unless specifically noted as vegan, should be avoided as they typically contain dairy.
Where to find vegan chocolate?
Oftentimes chocolate candies are not labeled as vegan. However, looking at the cacao content, 50% or higher and the ingredients list and being sure there aren't any animal by products can tell you whether the chocolate is vegan or not. Here is a list of delicious vegan chocolate treats.
1- Vermont based company with a wide range of vegan chocolate products from hot chocolate to truffles.
2- PETA’s list of their top vegan chocolates.
Fair Use Trade Chocolate
Fair trade chocolate is made with cacao beans from farmers who are paid a fair price for their crop, instead of the low price set by the market. Fair trade standards also ban forced labor and child labor and encourage environmentally-sustainable farming practices. Cocoa farmers must obtain a certification to be considered a Fair Trade on their product. More and more large chocolate makers are looking to source their cocoa from farmers with this certification and now FairTrade chocolate can be found in most grocery stores.
Direct Trade Chocolate
Since there is a cost associated with the certification, there is also Direct Trade chocolate. Direct trade chocolate is a description of how the chocolate maker sourced their cacao. Direct trade chocolate makers choose which farms they want to work with, by how farmers process cacao and treat workers. They establish a relationship with farmers and buy the cacao directly, cutting out middlemen and certifying fees. These types of chocolates are usually made by artisans and small specialty chocolatiers.
Also in TuTu's Green Stuff Blog
Earth Day Fun: How Kids and Schools Celebrated Across the U.S.
Every year on April 22nd, people all over the world celebrate Earth Day, a special time to show love and care for our planet. But this week, the spotlight was on younger changemakers—students, classrooms, and communities coming together in creative and inspiring ways to help protect the Earth.
Across the United States, schools turned into centers of environmental action, learning, and fun. From planting trees to building bee hotels, kids proved that you don’t have to be a grown-up to make a big difference.
Here’s a peek at how Earth Day 2025 was celebrated by awesome kids and schools just like yours!
Earth Day 2025: “Our Power, Our Planet” – Uniting for a Renewable Future
Every April 22nd, Earth Day calls on us to pause, reflect, and recommit to protecting the planet we call home. What started in 1970 as a grassroots movement has grown into a global call to action, reaching over a billion people in more than 190 countries. This year’s Earth Day theme, “Our Power, Our Planet,” reminds us of a profound truth: that we hold the power—individually and collectively—to shape the future of our world.
Celebrate National Gardening Day: Cultivating a Greener Future, One Garden at a Time
Every year on April 14th, National Gardening Day reminds us to dig in, get our hands dirty, and reconnect with the earth. It’s more than a celebration of soil, seeds, and sunshine—it’s an invitation to grow something meaningful. In recent years, National Gardening Day has evolved from a backyard pastime into a growing movement tied deeply to sustainability, resilience, and environmental awareness. As climate concerns continue to rise, gardening offers a beautiful and practical way to contribute to a healthier planet, starting in our own backyards.