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Business is business. The name of the game is to make money and as much of it as you can. But there are some businesses that incorporate altruism into their bottom line. We call that good business and we want to celebrate those companies that give back. In our column, Altruism Inc. we introduce you to businesses that are using their profits to benefit other people and the planet.
You may think the path to guilt is paved with chocolate but when that chocolate is Camino brand, the road you're on leads straight to good deeds.
Camino is a line of certified organic chocolate, coffee and candy bar products that are distributed by the Ottawa-based La Siembra Co-operative. From the beginning, this organization decided it didn’t want to feel guilty about providing the world with its favourite guilty pleasures.
They resolved to work directly with the farmers to ensure they were dealing in the fairest of fair trade. They now work with 18 co-ops that support 35,000 family farmers in 10 countries across Central and South America as well as Southeast Asia.
By working openly with the farmers, La Siembra ensures that these families not only get a fair market price for their coffee, cacao and sugar but that they are part of a sustainable community of farmers that can plan a future for their children.
And La Siembra doesn’t just help communities in distant lands; they are big community supporters here at home too. Every year, the co-op works with a range of not for profit, community, grass-roots and charitable organizations with sponsorships and in-kind donations. It’s no surprise that they are particularly partial to events that raise awareness about fair trade.
Ghandi said ‘be the change you want to see in the world.’ La Siembra takes that a step further by being the change and supporting the change – leading us all down a road toward a more community-minded, socially responsible society.
Lucky for us, that road is paved in pure chocolate bliss. We’ll take that camino any day.
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Camino products are available in most health food stores across Canada but you can also shop online.
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Valerie McTavish is a professional writer and video producer living ‘the good life’ in Kelowna, BC. She’s a long-time decision evader which she satisfies by letting a roll of the dice deliver her to spontaneous fun. Follow her adventures by chance at www.zufalladventures.com.
