Better Blooms, Bon-Bons, Fine Wines and Java

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Chocolate

A traditional, shade-grown cacao farm can be the next best thing to a wild rain forest for species diversity. However, most cacao beans are conventionally grown with the use of environment-damaging pesticides, child labor and poor working conditions.

Organic Options:

• Rapunzel's Dark Organic Chocolate Bar, ($4.65; www.diamondorganics.com, 888-ORGANIC)

• Dagoba's 10-piece Single Origin Tasting Square Gift Box ($12.00; www.dagobachocolate.com, 800-393-6075)

• Children will pounce on Endangered Species Chocolate Company's Lady Bug Gift Box with trading cards ($11.95; www.chocolatebar.com, 541-535-2170).

• Try a little of everything with Allison’s Gourmet Organic Vegan Chocolate Assortment. Includes truffles, caramels and toffee ($14.95/6-piece box; www.allisonsgourmet.com, 800-361-8292).

• Equal Exchange offers organic, fair-trade chocolate bars in milk chocolate, dark chocolate with almonds and very dark chocolate ($2.85), and for Valentine's breakfast or bedtime, serve their organic, fair-trade hot cocoa mix ($5; www.worldcentric.org, 650-283-3797).

• Betty Lou's Inc. makes organic Chocolate, Almond Butter and Peanut Butter Golden Smackers (from $16.56/24-piece box; www.bettylousinc.com).

• La Siembra Group's Cocoa Camino chocolate bars ($12 for 4; www.lasiembra.com, 613-235-6122).

•Indulge a loved one with European-style Organic Chocolate Truffles from Eco Express ($9.99; www.ecoexpress.com, 800-733-3495)

• Grenada Chocolate Company's organic 60 percent cocoa-content dark chocolate bars hail from a cooperative on that island ($5.50/bar; www.chocosphere.com, 877-99-CHOCO).

• Green & Black's and Maya Gold Chocolate dark chocolate bar ($4.75/bar; www.chocosphere.com).

• Plantations Arriba Rainforest Alliance-certified 75-percent dark ($3.42/bar; www.echocolates.com, 800-207-7058) helps restore Ecuador's native shade-grown cacao heritage.

• Show your support for the Sierra Club and for small farms with Sierra Club's organic Chocolate Coins ($8.95/10-oz. box) and Peanut Butter cups, each wrapped in cornstarch-based cellophane ($7.95/6-oz. box; www.theconsumerlink.com).