Whole Story

My adoration for chocolate cannot be overstated – chocolate is amazing – not only the mouthwatering final product, but the entire process. From the humble cacao bean comes the multitude of forms we know of as chocolate.  One of my favorites is the Whole Foods Market™ Organic Dark Chocolate. This single-origin bar has the intense, rich flavor of 72% cacao dark chocolate, is Whole Trade® Guaranteed and has a cool story behind it.

Deep in the Tanzanian rainforest, a unique program is ensuring chocolate production considers the wellbeing of the cocoa farmers, their communities and the environment. The farmers are compensated fairly and given training, technical advice, seedlings and equipment. Community schools for the children of the farmers are supported through this program and the organic farming practices protect and nourish the careful balance of the rainforest.

Whole Foods Market® supports this program by donating 10¢ for every bar sold. This donation goes directly to the Bioland Project in Kyela, Mbeya, Tanzania and the funds are used specifically for books, teacher salaries and classrooms for the children of the workers.

From now until the end of October, we’re giving you another way to show your support for this program, for the Whole Trade Guarantee and for the farmers and workers who benefit. When you sign up to receive our email newsletters we’ll donate $1 to your choice of three producer projects (one of which is the Tanzania Schoolhouse Project). Our goal is to raise $20K so if you don’t already receive our emails, sign up and tell your friends too. 

See, just when I think I couldn’t love chocolate more, there’s a few more reasons to feel good about one of my favorite indulgences.

What do you love about chocolate and what are some of your favorite stories behind your food?