Tony’s Chocolonely continues drive for ‘slave free’ chocolate industry
Dutch-founded impact chocolate brand Tony’s Chocolonely has unveiled three new Conversation Bars designed to provoke real talk around serious issues impacting the chocolate industry and beyond.
The latest launch, which is through Waitrose stores in the UK, features wrappers put several important topics front and centre, asking “What does equality / human / justice mean to you?” encouraging people to think about these issues, have conversations about them and use the white space as a blank canvas to share their voice.
“Our Conversation Bars and accompanying campaign is designed to facilitate constructive conversations between people on all sides,” says Jo Lane, Chief Marketing Officer at Tony’s Chocolonely.
“By increasing empathy and understanding around these 3 important issues, on a societal level and in the context of the chocolate industry, we hope to drive more support for our mission to eradicate modern slavery and illegal child labour. Because it’s only together that we can make all chocolate 100% slave free.
Research shows that contact and dialogue with people outside your bubble increases empathy, which leads to a change in attitudes and behaviour. Tony’s believes empathy is a starting point to creating a fairer world – and a fairer chocolate industry. Change can therefore begin with conversation. As the business noted, change is needed: inequalities, injustice and inhuman behaviours exist in the cocoa supply chain and beyond.
In the industry, big chocolate companies profit from keeping the cocoa purchasing price as low as possible. As a result, farmers cannot earn a living income and are forced to live in poverty. This drives illegal child labour and modern slavery. Today, there are over 1.56 million children work illegally2 and at least 30,000 victims of modern slavery
Available exclusively at Waitrose and Partners, the 3 limited-edition Conversation Bars flavours are:
· equality – milk chocolate caramel almond nougat pretzel sea salt (our crunchiest bar ever)
· human – dark chocolate lemony caramel cocoa biscuit (a new vegan-friendly bar)
· justice – white chocolate raspberry biscuit sprinkles (a much-requested new white bar)
A Waitrose spokesperson said: “Tony’s not only make stand-out delicious chocolate bars, they are shining a spotlight on the inequalities across the cocoa industry and ensuring their ingredients are sourced ethically – giving our customers a great tasting product and peace of mind, too. As the first UK supermarket to stock Tony’s, we have always believed in the quality and values of this brand and we’re ecstatic to have three exclusive bars of our own that we know our customers will absolutely adore.”
The bars, on sale until 25th January and online, at tonyschocolonely.com, will be accompanied by an earned, owned and paid social campaign to encourage conversations around these topics.
