Sweet tooth truth

Rich and creamy, chocolate started as the food of the gods. Now it's the ideal gift for every special occasion. But behind the dark, delicious morsels lay some unfortunate environmental truths.

If you want to give your loved one a treat that's sweet to the planet, here's some background info and recommended sources.

First, you should know that 70% of the cacao beans used to make chocolate are grown in Africa, mostly in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. Some cacao is grown in South America, the Caribbean, and Indonesia as well. In all of these places, child labor is a big problem.

In 2002, the International Labour Organization released a series of studies about cacao farming in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon, and Nigeria. This group found that 284,000 children were working on these farms, frequently in unsafe conditions.

Children were handling toxic pesticides, wielding machetes, and working long hours. In Côte d’Ivoire, a third of kids ages 6 to 17 who lived in cocoa-producing households had never attended school.

Plus, these operations are damaging rainforests. According to the World Watch Institute, cocoa farming has destroyed 13% of the original forest in Côte d'Ivoire. Global Exchange (PDF) notes that deforestation has reduced habitat for birds. And overuse of pesticides can backfire and create more virulent pests.

The chocolate industry has taken steps recently to address child labor and environmentally harmful farming practices.

The World Cocoa Foundation created programs with farmers to encourage more sustainable farming and safer working conditions. They partnered with various non-governmental agencies, as well as TransFair USA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But the industry still has a long way to go.

If you want chocolate that's guaranteed eco-friendly, your best bet is to look for a fair-trade certification. This means a neutral, international system has certified that the farmers received a reasonable minimum price for their goods. Fair-trade also prohibits child labor and promotes sustainable farming practices that are similar to organic farming.

The inspection and certification process does cost money for a business, so this can increase the price for the consumer, in addition to the higher living wage the farmer receives. But you're getting a product that's been raised under better standards -- as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for.

TransFair USA certifies cocoa and lists quite a few retail chocolatiers. It's also worth looking for USDA organic certified chocolates; some manufacturers may not get both certifications due to the cost or beauracracy.

Theo Chocolate, Sweet Earth Organic Chocolate, Equal Exchange, and Shaman Chocolates are all organic and fair-trade certified.

I especially like Divine Chocolate. It's well named because the taste is divine, and it's fair-trade.

For more fair-trade chocolates, take a look at Nirvana Belgian Chocolates, San Francisco Chocolate Factory, and Alter Eco.

For organic chocolate, visit Lillie Belle Farms and Sjaak's Organic Chocolates.

Another personal favorite is Dagoba Organic Chocolate (I love the Latte Mocha bar!). These sweets are certified organic and sustainably grown, plus all of the dark chocolates are vegan.

If your loved one loves animals too, maybe an Endangered Species chocolate bar would be a great gift. These yummy bars are made of ethically traded, shade-grown chocolate, and 10% of profits go to different conservancy organizations.

While all of the ones mentioned so far are available online, some types are available in stores too. Newman's Own Organics has several flavors of chocolate bars and peanut butter cups sold in natural food stores and markets like Whole Foods.

The luxury UK brand Green and Black's Organic chocolate is highly acclaimed for its dark chocolates. Use the store locator on the website, and you may find this sweet delight at a Whole Foods or Target store in your neighborhood.