Tony’s Chocolonely ‘Conversation Bars’ provoke talk on social issues

Tony’s Chocolonely, the chocolate-making impact company on a mission to create a fairer chocolate industry, announces the launch of 3 new Conversation Bars designed to provoke real talk around serious issues impacting the chocolate industry and beyond.

The wrappers put 3 important topics front and centre, asking “What does equality / human / justice mean to you?” encouraging people to think about these issues, have conversations about them and use the white space as a blank canvas to share their voice.

“Our Conversation Bars and accompanying campaign is designed to facilitate constructive conversations between people on all sides,” says Jo Lane, Chief Marketing Officer at Tony’s Chocolonely. “By increasing empathy and understanding around these 3 important issues, on a societal level and in the context of the chocolate industry, we hope to drive more support for our mission to eradicate modern slavery and illegal child labour. Because it’s only together that we can make all chocolate 100% slave free.”

Change begins with conversation

Research shows that contact and dialogue with people outside your bubble increases empathy, which leads to a change in attitudes and behaviour. Tony’s believes empathy is a starting point to creating a fairer world – and a fairer chocolate industry. Change can therefore begin with conversation.

And change is needed: inequalities, injustice and inhuman behaviours exist in the cocoa supply chain and beyond.

In the industry, big chocolate companies profit from keeping the cocoa purchasing price as low as possible. As a result, farmers cannot earn a living income and are forced to live in poverty. This drives illegal child labour and modern slavery. Today, there are over 1.56 million children work illegally and at least 30,000 victims of modern slavery3 on cocoa plantations in Ghana and Ivory Coast.

The 3 limited-edition Conversation Bars flavours are:

equality – milk chocolate caramel almond nougat pretzel sea salt (our crunchiest bar ever)

human – dark chocolate lemony caramel cocoa biscuit (a new vegan-friendly bar)

justice – white chocolate raspberry biscuit sprinkles (a much-requested new white bar)

The bars will be accompanied by an earned, owned and paid social campaign to encourage conversations around these topics.

The limited-edition Conversation Bars are available while stocks last from Brown Thomas, Fresh, Fallon & Byrne and online at Reuzi.ie and EarthMother.ie – RRP €3.98.