Is a sweeter story possible for chocolate and vanilla?

In our latest podcast episode we stop to look more closely at vanilla and chocolate, which start out as beans and pods, respectively, grown in the Global South before making long journeys north to be processed, sold and profited from. Large flavoring companies extract wealth from the communities that produce these ingredients, a system that leaves smallholder farmers in poverty and leads to environmental and social problems like deforestation and forced and child labor.

Some companies are trying to create alternative models that keep profits from chocolate and vanilla in the communities that grow them. In the episode, we talk to two of them: Heilala Vanilla and Beyond Good. We also hear from a lawyer from Corporate Accountability Lab who explains how child labor became a problem in these industries and how we can hold companies accountable for abuses in their supply chains.

Is it possible to reconnect these flavors to the foods they come from? And can we do more to ensure the people who grow vanilla beans and cacao pods can benefit from the essential role these flavors play in the way we eat? Listen to learn more.