This week we decided to look into a brand that has taken it upon itself to give back to wildlife conservation.
Endangered Species Chocolate was founded in a small town called Talent, Oregon back in 1993. Since its inception ESC has been passionate about crafting premium chocolates and conservation, and for its first twelve years made chocolate bars in a single manual machine and sold them in neighboring communities.
A lot has changed since then and with an acquisition taking place in 2005, the company’s headquarters were moved to Indiannapolis, Indiana. With the move to the Midwest, ESC’s reach expanded exponentially, and so did its mission. There are now 25,000 points of distribution across all 50 states and some in international markets. Talk about making an impact.
Products With a Purpose
ESC’s passion for conservation has been evident since its origins, and is strongly tied to everything the company does. Their range of chocolate bars vary from pure dark, to oat milk, and milk flavored. You can find everything from Cinnamon, Cayenne & Cherries + Dark Chocolate, to Oat Milk Rice Crisp + Dark Chocolate, and Fudgy Peanut Butter + Milk Chocolate.
ESC has married both its purposes in a thoughtful manner, by branding each flavor with a unique wrapper honoring the plight of a featured endangered species and including important information on them. They bring awareness to the plight of animals like the Bald Eagle, Caribou, and Leopards among others. But this amazing brand doesn’t stop at that.
A Brand On A Mission
Endangered Species Chocolate is very clear on their mission as they donate 10% of their yearly profits to conservation through various of their Give Back Partners. By way of donations and collaborations ESC has aided in the discovery of a new species of shark, it has helped protect about 350,000 of rainforest, and fought hard against the poaching of elephants.
Furthermore, all of ESC’s products come from Fair Trade Partner farmers, most of which are located in West Africa. As a result of ESC’s sourcing practices and profit, they are able to provide funds to install water wells, build schools, hire medical staff, and repair roads.
Since 2016, ESC has donated over 2.6 million dollars to it’s Give Back Partners. Some of their Give Back Partners include: National Forest Foundation, Elephant Crisis Fund, Wildlife Conservation Network and many others.
Want to learn more about Endangered Species Chocolate and support their mission?
You can see more on their mission here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=103&v=9UTVoH3iEms&feature=emb_logo
To learn more and find Endangered Species Chocolate products go here:
We commend ESC for the great work they do for our planet and for their delicious chocolate!
What brand do you think we should highlight next?
Sources:
Bowman, S. (2018, June 1). Those chocolate bars with endangered species on the wrapper are made in Indianapolis. The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://www.indystar.com/story/money/2018/06/01/endangered-species-chocolate-bars-indiana-made-global-impact/641334002/
Chandler, J. (2020, October 26). Endangered species chocolate details history and strategy. Deli Market News. Retrieved February 28, 2022, from https://www.delimarketnews.com/behind-counter/endangered-species-chocolate-details-history-and-strategy-Whitney-Bembenick/chandler-james/tue-10132020-1113/10541
Harris, S. (2021, May 6). Inside Indy’s Endangered Species Chocolate’s successful year of contribution to conservation. WRTV. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://www.wrtv.com/open/inside-indys-endangered-species-chocolates-successful-year-of-contribution-to-conservation
