Despite what Willy Wonka may have made you believe, the chocolate industry, it turns out, ain't so sweet.
Actually, the reality is closer to a dystopian nightmare than a Roald Dahl daydream.
For decades, Big Chocolate has profited off systemic exploitation, with forced labour and child slavery lurking beneath the foil of your favourite candy bars.
Scrappy, socially conscious, and rebellious, the brand has turned the industry on its head.
Born out of outrage and built on unapologetic honesty, Tony's is proof that you can sell a sweet treat without sugar-coating the truth. It's chocolate with a mission and a satisfying middle finger to the status quo.
When it comes to supply chains for commodity products, the environments created to support these industries are often rife with social and environmental abuse.
And many are working under conditions that can only be described as modern slavery.
The raw product, on the other hand, is produced by more than two million farmers. These workers earn less than two dollars a day, on average, living well below the poverty line.
Throw in deforestation, and you've got an industry that profits purely off the backs of the less fortunate.
Big Chocolate-companies like Nestlé, Hershey's, and Mars-have long made pledges to address these issues. But, let's be honest, their track record is spotty at best, dismal at worst.
Because there are no easy answers to problems like this.
Nobody wants child labour, for example, but everyone is tunnel-visioned on capturing value within the existing system. Taking the moral high ground and refusing to deal with suppliers who exploit children and farmers would likely result in no actual improvement to the circumstances.
There were always those with lower morals ready to swoop in and take your place.
This is how you create a genuine - and successful purpose driven brand.
You set out to spark a movement.
