Our Culture
Hofssi Chocolates strives to use as many organic, Non-GMO and Fair Trade ingredients as possible because we care about the Earth, our customers, and our neighbors.
FIVE GOOD REASONS WHY ORGANIC
- Organic farming maintains healthy soil
Non-organic foods are sprayed with extremely toxic chemicals that kill everything other than the crop itself. This includes the living organisms that a plant needs to grow and make the soil nutrient rich. Once those organisms are killed they are replaced with synthetic fertilizers - made from other toxic chemicals.
- Organic farming supports pollinators
Herbicides and Pesticides do not differentiate between good and bad bugs, it simply kills them all. Bees and other wild pollinators such as bats have been dramatically affected by the use of pesticides in the U.S. Organic farming practices healthy growing techniques that aim to maintain healthy levels of insect/animal biodiversity.
- Organics support a healthier farm lifestyle and a healthier community
Growing food organically does not harm the surrounding community in which it is grown. Unlike non-organic practices, organics keep toxins out of the air, out of the drinking water and out of the soil. Farmers aren’t exposed to herbicides and pesticides all day; and if food is bought locally, it reduces transportation costs and emissions.
- Organics keep harmful pesticides and herbicides out of our oceans
Everything ends up in the ocean. Whether the chemicals are leaching through the soil into aquifers below; being blown into nearby rivers and lakes; or simply running off into the ocean after the rain. The toxins sprayed on our food are made to kill, and will do just that no matter where they are. The massive “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico is an example of the direct consequence of all the nitrogen run off ending up in the ocean.
- Organic foods are often more nutrient rich
Organic foods get their nutrients straight from healthy, rich, organic dirt. If the dirt is healthy then there should be no need for fertilizers. Non-organic crops get their nutrients from synthetic fertilizers made from fossil fuels. Years of not replenishing the soil with organic matter forces farmers to add synthetic fertilizers. This leads to nutrient deficient crops grown from the same thing that fuels our cars!
Being a tiny producer, Hofssi Chocolates in unable to get organic corn syrup to make our caramels. We do, however, use Non-GMO corn syrup. Nearly every other ingredient we use is organic.
Why Non-GMO?
Not only does the organic certification ensure there are no harmful chemicals on our food, it also guarantees that they are not GMO's (genetically modified organisms). GMO’s generally are mono cropped. That is, planting a single crop in a large area which leaves that crop extremely vulnerable to being wiped out by a single disease or bug. Farmers are forced to spray chemicals that kill absolutely everything other than the crop itself. As a result, that crop is the laden with chemicals.
Another major concern of GMO’s is that they cause reduced genetic diversity in the environment. Genetic diversity is important for the environment and agriculture because the increased variability provides a better opportunity for plants and animals to adapt to a changing environment.
Shopping organic and Non-GMO is taking a stance against the large chemical producing corporations that have polluted the world’s food and fields.
Hofssi Chocolates uses only Fair Trade chocolate. Organic chocolate is, by definition, also Fair Trade. The El Rey Chocolate from Venezuela used in some of our bars is not organic, but it is Fair Trade.
WHY FAIR TRADE?
Fair Trade chocolate means that cacao farmers are paid a fair price, that they are able to invest in their communities and land, and that their farms are free of forced child labor. By choosing Fair Trade chocolate, you support a system that is better for farmers and their families.
