We’ve been waiting all year for October to roll around for one exciting reason: Fair Trade month! OK, you probably didn’t mark your calendar for that but it’s a cool idea to celebrate anyway. With chocolate candies flowing like wine this season, why not take a moment to learn a little about their creation? You’ve probably watched one of the mouth-watering videos that take you on a factory tour. There are Willy Wonka like rivers of melted chocolate, and endless conveyors of chocolate candies. But what happens before the ingredients get to the factory? Unfortunately, it’s a pretty messed up story that includes child slave labor and third world farmers who get paid pennies for their delicious cocoa. Talk about a Halloween horror story. Here’s a short video that gives some info on why standard (non Fair Trade) chocolate production is still able to exi$t, as well as one guys creative way to bring attention to this problem:

So what can you do to help end child labor in the production of cocoa & chocolate? It’s easy, just spend your money with companies that adhere to Fair Trade practices. There are lots of companies who produce Fair Trade chocolate, and many retailers who sell it, including Amazon. There is even a Fair Trade Halloween kit available for treat-giving on The Big Night. In addition to 42 delicious chocolates, the kit has 42 Halloween postcards to hand out that give knowledge about the importance of Fair Trade. You can still give out yummy chocolate candies, but toss an informative postcard into their candy sacks at the same time and you’ll help spread the word, too. Another alternative: give non-chocolate goodies on Halloween.

Our favorites are Lara Bars (their Chocolat line uses cocoa) and Dagoba, Green & Blacks and Endangered Species. What’s your favorite brand of Fair Trade chocolate?