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Making a positive social and environmental impact is embedded into every DNA strand of Dr. Bronner’s, and its just-announced decision to exit the chocolate business was also mission-driven.
Ownership of the organic chocolate bar line has been transferred to Magic Chocolate, Inc., a partnership between Maestrani Schokoladen, the Swiss chocolatier, and Joe Whinney, the former CEO and co-founder of Theo Chocolate, the first 100% organic and fair trade chocolate company in the U.S.
“We realized to truly scale demand for our regenerative organic cocoa and showcase the benefits of regenerative organic agriculture, our chocolate line needed someone at the helm that is fully dedicated to the chocolate business,” said David Bronner, cosmic engagement officer (CEO) of Dr. Bronner’s, the family-owned company and top-selling natural brand of soap in North America. “While we didn’t originally imagine ourselves as incubators versus long-term stewards, we are immensely proud of our success to-date.”
“This was an activist project to clean up the chocolate supply chain, which has a history of exploiting farmers and causing significant damage to our planet,” added Christina Volgyesi, chief marketing officer at Dr. Bronner’s. “In the beginning, people had a lot of questions about us going into the chocolate business, but we achieved what we set out to do and are celebrating the real change we created with our partners.”
Despite the Magic Chocolate line only having been launched in 2021, the impact Dr. Bronner’s generated in such a short time is truly astounding.
The company converted approximately 5,500 acres of conventional cocoa fields in Ghana and Ivory Coast to Regenerative Organic Certified®, supporting an estimated 954 farmers who improved soil fertility and increased crop yields within their operations. All Magic Chocolate products are made with Regenerative Organic Certified® cocoa, coconut butter and coconut sugar, in addition to being fair trade.
Even though financial terms of this transaction were not disclosed, what is very clear are the shared values between the old and new ownership groups.
Operating in a carbon neutral factory and with a deep commitment to social justice, Maestrani Schokoladen is a 173-year-old, family-owned and independent Swiss company that launched the first organic chocolate bar in Europe in 1987. Furthermore, Magic Chocolate, Inc. is completely self-funded and has no outside investors, which means it will not face the typical pressure to eventually sell.
What is also notable is that since inception, Joe Whinney had been advising Dr. Bronner’s on its chocolate venture and Maestrani Schokoladen had been the producer of the chocolate bars.
The success that the chocolate has had with existing consumers — as well as the goal of reaching new ones — is not lost on Magic Chocolate, Inc.’s CEO Joe Whinney, who helped create the market for organic chocolate in North America in the 1990s.
“We have built an extremely experienced sales team, and the chocolate bars are just the start, with a whole new product line expected to hit store shelves in 2026.”
Growing the brand will be critical to driving further positive change, yet the commitment to Regenerative Organic Certified® and its core social values — all set in place by Dr. Bronner’s — will remain unchanged by the new ownership group.
“The world does not need any more chocolate. It needs the right chocolate,” said Joe Whinney. “We are not compromising on quality, pleasure of experience or the supply chain, and the only reason I committed to doing this was to radically improve the benefit of everyone who touches our product.”
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With gratitude, 
Max Goldberg, Founder |
In an unprecedented move, this government document specifically calls out two widely used chemicals -- glyphosate and atrazine -- and their possible side effects, including cancer, endocrine disruption and birth defects. Overall, the report painted a very bleak picture of America's health, and as someone who was on antidepressants for nearly eleven years, I was extremely pained by the state of mental health of our young people. Here are my 5 takeaways from the White House press event for the report and the one thing that I believe was missing from many analyses of the report. The strategic recommendations about how to address these findings are due in August.
Bayer is preparing a plan to settle some of its mass lawsuits over Roundup weedkiller in Missouri, and it may also seek bankruptcy for its Monsanto unit if the effort fails.
This move -- made without industry input and without consultation of the National Organic Standards Board -- undermines the transparency and collaborative process that the organic community relies on to develop clear, consistent standards.
A very dangerous development and one that must be blocked.
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