Book Review: The BitterSweet World of Chocolate by Troth Wells and Nikki van der Gaag
Review by Meghan Mast
Say the word chocolate and numerous adjectives come to mind. Succulent, smooth, tempting and aphrodisiac barely touch the surface. In their book, Troth Wells and Nikki van der Gaag provide 50 worldwide chocolate recipes that offer a wide variety of foods from the familiar “Dark Chocolate Brownies,” to the more unusual “Chocolate and Chicken Quesadilla.”
Interspersed with recipes are colorful pages detailing the history of chocolate, the process of making chocolate, the injustices of the chocolate industry and the importance of buying fair trade chocolate.
Along with emphasizing the benefits of eating chocolate, Wells and van der Gaag expose the dark side of chocolatea€™s history and reveal aspects of the industry that continues to be corrupt.
Throughout history chocolate has also maintained a dark reputation. Slave labor and disparity between rich and poor are only parts of chocolatea€™s colonial past. A recent exposure in 2001 revealed child labor still occurs on some cocoa farms in Africa. In order for the chocolate industry to provide chocolate at a reasonable price for wealthy westerners, the poor in developing countries are being exploited.
Chocolate farmers scrape by financially, and can be devastated when the price of cocoa on the world market fluctuates. A crash in the cocoa market means the end for a cocoa farmer. Even when the market is stable, it is difficult for farmers to cultivate enough healthy crops. Cocoa plants require a specific environment for growth and much of the crop can be destroyed by insects. Farmers are forced to sell the surviving crops for ridiculously cheap prices in order for international corporations to consider purchasing them. The result is an even greater disparity between rich and poor.
Although the future for chocolate farmers may seem bleak at this point in the book, the authors are quick to reassure the reader that there is hope. Fair trade chocolate companies have formed, and are making improvements by giving farmers control over their own production and marketing. These companies value womena€™s work, ensure people are properly paid and use ecologically sustainable methods.
In order for fair trade organizations to make improvements though, they require support. If more people become deliberate about purchasing fair trade chocolate and encourage large corporations to begin buying fair trade, the future of chocolate can look a little sweeter.
