La Siembra chocolate passes our sweet test

GIE was concerned after reading a study by As You Sow that found cadmium and lead in various chocolate products, including ones from Equal Exchange.  Since Equal Exchange is La Siembra’s sister organisation in the United States which also has an investment in La Siembra, we decided to engage La Siembra in December 2018. (We also contacted Equal Exchange, find out more here).

We received a thorough response one day after having sent our letter (!) from Kelly Storie, the Co-Executive Director & Finance Director of La Siembra Cooperative. Ms Storie explained that the company has been testing products with high cocoa content since 2016. Interestingly, she explained La Siembra’s commitment to continue to work with Peruvian farmers, introducing techniques to reduce cadmium uptake into cocoa trees, rather than simply switching to suppliers elsewhere who don’t face this challenge.

Ms. Storie also informed EIG about a settlement in the case filed in California, explaining that due to the nature of the case La Siembra did not join in the case. EIG thanked Ms Storie for alleviating our concerns and asked to be kept informed about future testing of heavy metals in La Siembra chocolate. In sum we were reassured about our investment in La Siembra and will happily also enjoy consuming their tasty chocolate products.

For more details, see La Siembra and heavy metals on EIG's website.

EIG engages with companies in which it is a shareholder by writing letters to upper management on issues of concern. As investors, we feel our voices should be heard.