Marketing & Communications

Tony’s Chocolonely, Washington Post Give Chocolate Lovers ‘Food for Thought’

The chocolate maker’s first partnership with a media company is the latest in its ongoing mission to increase awareness around forced labor in cocoa supply chains and how collective action can address them.

Published 1 month ago | About a 4 minute read

Image: Tony's Chocolonely

Activist chocolate brand Tony’s Chocolonely has launched the latest step in its mission to educate the consumers of the world on the not-so-sweet aspects of the chocolate industry, through a partnership with US news giant The Washington Post.

In addition to partnerships with a growing number of food companies with chocolate supply chains — including Ben & Jerry’s and Waitrose — aimed at eradicating exploitation in cocoa production, the Washington Post partnership is the latest step in Tony’s years-long campaign to foster broader awareness and meaningful conversation around cocoa supply chain issues and how collective action can address them.

As Karin Campbell, director of brand partnerships at Tony’s Chocolonely US, told Confectionery News: “The partnership came naturally, as both brands are driven by a desire to spark meaningful conversations.

“Awareness is the first step towards taking action, and The Washington Post is an incredible partner in helping us raise awareness about the issues facing the cocoa industry,” Campbell said — adding that a 2019 Washington Post investigation into child labor in the cocoa industry still plays an important role in Tony’s educational tool belt.”

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Image credit: The Washington Post

The partnership — the chocolate maker’s first with a media organization — has produced a “Conversations Starter Bundle:” It contains two chocolate bars — one Milk Caramel Sea Salt and one Milk Chocolate Everything — with limited-edition collaboration wrapping, sticker sheet and a customized gift box designed by The Post’s in-house creative team.

As Tony’s explains: “Our two-bar pack brings a taste of Tony’s mission to end exploitation in cocoa, born from the investigative spirit of a journalist, and The Post’s commitment to uncovering stories that connect, inform and enlighten. A bar for you, one for a friend and a delicious reason to dive into the day’s headlines or talk about a hot topic. Grab a bundle, share a bite, start a conversation.”

The brand’s ongoing “conversation starters” continue the mission of its founder, Dutch investigative journalist Teun Van de Keuken, who exposed the ongoing situation of child labor in cocoa supply chains through a series of TV documentaries in the early 2000s. When an on-air stunt aimed at publicly pressuring major chocolate manufacturers to address this issue — in which he ate chocolate bars that were likely made using slave labor, then attempted to get himself arrested as an accessory to the crime of employing child slaves — didn’t create the desired effect, he then recruited a team to produce 5,000 Fairtrade, traceable milk chocolate bars; and in 2005, Tony’s Chocolonely was officially born.

Along with impactful consumer-facing campaigns from organizations including Fairtrade America and Fairtrade International, and Be Slavery Free’s annual Chocolate Scorecard, Tony’s remains a prominent force behind growing consumer understanding of the social and economic issues that underly the production of one of the world’s favorite sweet treats.

While a growing number of major brands have begun shying away from social issues that could prove in any way divisive (and The Post itself is now dealing with significant fallout after refusing to back a candidate in the US presidential election), consumers continue to demand and say they will pay more for ethically and sustainably sourced products — so, engaging on an issue such as fair labor isn’t likely to draw ire from anti-ESG activists.

Conversation Starter Bundles are available into 2025 through Tony’s Chocolonely’s website. Through November 1, Tony’s fans also have a chance to win one — enter to win through the company’s Instagram page.