The Fair Trade Cacao Movement: Restoring Justice and Nutritional Value to Cacao

The fair trade cacao movement is part of a broader effort to make the cacao industry more equitable while seeking to restore cacao’s rightful place in terms of nutrition and medicinal value.

Cacao, the main ingredient in chocolate, is primarily grown in tropical countries, especially in West Africa, Latin America, and Asia. The reality is that behind every chocolate bar lies a complex situation: agricultural exploitation relying on the labor of millions of children, opaque supply chains, environmental impacts, but also ancestral traditions and millennia-old know-how that are at risk of disappearing.

Fair Trade: A Response to Injustices in the Cacao Industry

The majority of the world’s cacao is produced by small-scale farmers living in poverty. According to Fairtrade International, cacao producers often receive less than 6% of the final chocolate price. Fair trade aims to correct these inequalities by guaranteeing a minimum price to producers, along with a community development premium. It also supports sustainable farming practices, limiting pesticide use and promoting biodiversity.

Several certifications help identify fair trade products, but they vary in their requirements:

• Fairtrade (Max Havelaar): Guarantees a minimum price, prohibits child labor, and enforces strict social and environmental standards.
• Rainforest Alliance: Focuses more on environmental sustainability but offers fewer economic guarantees to producers.
• UTZ Certified: Now merged with Rainforest Alliance, this certification emphasized traceability and producer training.
• Organic certifications (e.g., USDA Organic, Ecocert): Ensure no synthetic pesticides and often maintain close ties to traditional practices.

As with any certification approach, a gap emerges: small producers who are already fair and eco-responsible can no longer compete with large ones who can afford these certifications. This is why the best way to promote fair trade remains supporting local production, beyond certifications.

Commercial Chocolate vs. Traditional Cacao: Major Differences

Commercial chocolate found in supermarkets is often far removed from cacao in its original form. It frequently contains refined sugar, vegetable oils, powdered milk, artificial flavors, and sometimes additives. The cacao content can be very low (sometimes less than 20%), significantly reducing its nutritional value.

In contrast, traditional cacao—often sold as whole beans, unsweetened pure powder, or cacao paste—retains its bioactive properties. Minimally processed, it contains higher levels of flavonoids, particularly catechins and procyanidins, powerful antioxidant compounds.

Ancestral Mayan Knowledge

Mayan ancestral knowledge provides valuable insights for fully benefiting from cacao’s properties. Not all types of cacao are equal. Traditional native or Criollo cacao is very rich in theobromine, whereas the cacao widely used in industry (Forastero strains) is richer in caffeine with very little theobromine.

Processing plays a major role. These beneficial compounds are heat-sensitive: the more cacao is processed, the less it retains. Commercial heat treatments already eliminate much of the effects. Even today, Mayan communities cultivate Criollo because it is the cacao of their ancestors. Fermentation allows theobromine from the mucilage to penetrate the cacao bean, and once slowly roasted, its beneficial effects can be felt in the resulting chocolate.

Mayan medicine cacao is not meant for making “chocolate bars” or other confections. It is drunk pure with water, perhaps with a little cinnamon or chili, and nothing more. According to the Mayans, any other addition destroys the properties. Cacao is added to boiled water without boiling the cacao itself. In the Mayan language, “chocolate” means “bitter water.” This “bitter water” is what enables a better life, better physical and psychological health. It is treated with the utmost respect, even elevated to the status of a drink of the gods. This has nothing to do with chocolate powder or chocolate syrup sold on shelves for making hot chocolate!

Health Benefits of Pure Cacao

Scientific studies have shown that flavonoid-rich cacao can:

• Reduce blood pressure and improve blood circulation (source: British Journal of Nutrition, 2012)
• Improve cognitive function and mood thanks to theobromine, phenylethylamine, and effects on dopamine (source: Frontiers in Nutrition, 2020)
• Promote cardiovascular health by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation (source: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2011)

Cacao and Antidepressant Effects

Cacao contains several natural psychotropic compounds:

• Phenylethylamine (PEA): Sometimes called the “molecule of love,” it stimulates the production of dopamine and noradrenaline, leading to greater alertness and a more positive mood.
• Anandamide: In Sanskrit, “Ananda” means “joy”! Anandamide, an endocannabinoid naturally present in the brain and found in raw cacao, is involved in feelings of pleasure.
• Theanines and flavonoids: Which positively influence levels of BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor), a molecule linked to neuroplasticity and depression reduction.

There are not yet studies validating Mayan hypotheses using traditional cacao. However, a study published in Depression and Anxiety (2019) found that people who regularly consume dark chocolate had 70% fewer depressive symptoms than those who did not (Jackson et al., 2019).

Additionally, a systematic review in Nutrients (2020) concluded that cacao polyphenols have a modulating effect on the gut microbiota, which could play a role in the gut-brain axis, directly influencing mood (Nutrients, 2020).

Choosing fair trade cacao is not just a gesture for your health but also an act of solidarity. Supporting farmers from indigenous Mayan communities is even better!

For more information on traditional Mayan cacao and how to obtain fair trade cacao, click here!