(FAIR TRADE, 1997) Beside the chocolate industries, the oil and fat industries also would appreciate the use of cacao butter replacing fats, which are 20% cheaper than cacao butter. The Dutch Ministry of Economic affairs favours the interests of the oil- and fat industry and is subsidizing research on enzyme technology which makes cheap oils, such as palm and soja oils, useful for replacing cacao butter.
Of course the members of the European Parliament also have to cope with other wishes, than those of the owners of chocolate factories and those of the oil and fat industries. According to a research of NIPO, 60 % of the Dutch population does not want to eat fake chocolate. The Heart Foundation is also against the use of cacao butter replacers, since they might have a bad influence on the amount of cholesterol in our blood.
The organisations "Fair Trade", "Max Havelaar", "Wereldwinkels", and the organisations which help to develop the third world (SNV and Novib), are standing up for small cacao farmers. Cacao is a cash crop for these farmers, so they are 100% dependent on it. The Minister of Foreign affairs and Jan Pronk, the minister of third world affairs, are also afraid that the use of cacao butter replacers will have a very negative effect on the income of the cacao farmers. "The trade of cacao will be diminished with 150,000 tons which means a loss of income of 450,000,000 dollars for the farmers."
Van Aartsen, the Dutch Minister of Agriculture, is the one who is responsible for the fulfilling of the International Cacao agreement. In September 1996 he said that the Netherlands will vote against the proposal of the European Committee.
The trade union, FNV, is also against the use of fake cacao butter. They are worried about all the jobs that might disappear in the ports and the cacao industry.
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- chapter 6 : Chocolate war -
- chapter 8 : Synthesis: From chocolatl to chocodream -
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