You may recall that EIG got in touch with La Siembra after As You Sow reported finding heavy metals in a range of chocolate products, including some made by Equal Exchange. The finding resulted in legal notices being filed against chocolate manufacturers for failure to warn of lead and/or cadmium in their chocolate products. EIG also wrote to Equal Exchange in December 2018, asking for the company’s response to the legal notices, whether the company tests chocolate products for heavy metals and what measures are being taken to eliminate heavy metals from their chocolate products.
It took a couple of follow-ups on our end before the Chocolate Products Manager responded to us in April 2019. He noted that Equal Exchange is testing the levels of cadmium and lead in their products and also has testing done by its partners. The company is working to achieve the standards agreed to in the settlement of the case in California, and he shared these levels with us. As part of the settlement, parties agreed to fund research on how heavy metals get into cacao products and how this can be mitigated. EIG learned that this report will be made public and Equal Exchange has committed to sharing it with us (expected in May 2021).
Equal Exchange also highlighted its preoccupation around the impact of decisions in the chocolate industry on the livelihoods of small-scale farmers in regions where heavy metals occur naturally at higher levels. EIG shares this concern.
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.
