1. COMENIUS 2012 – 2014
„LEARNING BYEATING“
1) Introduction: Fairtrade – Cocoa and Cocolate
Exploring Fairtrade is a great way to get started with
understanding the global connections in our lives and how
the choices we make about what we buy can affect
people living in other countries around the world.
Fairtrade is a different way of doing business. It ensures that the most
disadvantaged producers, living in some of the poorest countries in the world get
paid a fair price for their products.
When you choose to buy products with the Fairtrade mark (see above) you are
helping to ensure these producers can provide for their families and
communities.
In the following you can inform yourself about some details of Fairtrade
chocolate production. Have a look at the different tasks:
2. COMENIUS 2012 – 2014
„LEARNING BYEATING“
2) Where is cocoa grown?
The countries which grow the most cocoa are:
1. Ivory Coast
2. Ghana
3. Indonesia
4. Nigeria
5. Brazil
6. Ecuador
The countries which eat the most chocolate are:
1. Switzerland
2. Austria
3. Ireland
4. Great Britain
5. Norway
Please
find and mark the locations above on the „Chocolate
Map”. Do you notice anything about who grows the cocoa and
who eats the chocolate?
3. COMENIUS 2012 – 2014
„LEARNING BYEATING“
3) The price of a chocolate bar
Have
a look at the following people who are all involved in the journey
of a chocolate bar. Decide for each of these people how much they
should get from £ 1 paid for one chocolate bar.
Farmers
grow and care for the cocoa trees for three to five years
harvest the cocoa pods in very hot temperatures
remove the beans from the pods
ferment the beans for six days and dry them for ten days
take the sacks of beans to sell to cocoa buyers
A chocolate bar costs £1.00. How much should the farmer be paid for his part in
making the chocolate bar?
Cocoabuyers
weighthesacksofbeans
pay the farmer for the beans
arrange to take the beans to the port
A chocolate bar costs £1.00. How much should a cocoa buyer be paid for his part
in making the chocolate bar?
Importers
transport the beans from Ghana to your home country
turn the beans into cocoa solids and cocoa butter
A chocolate bar costs £1.00. How much should you be paid for your part in
making the chocolate bar?
Shops
buy the chocolate bars from the chocolate companies
sell the chocolate bars to shoppers
A chocolate bar costs £1.00. How much should the shops be paid for their part
in making the chocolate bar?
4. COMENIUS 2012 – 2014
„LEARNING BYEATING“
Chocolatecompanies
buy the cocoa solids and cocoa butter
buytheotheringredients
makethechocolatebars
pay for the chocolate bar wrappers
pay for advertising the chocolate bars
A chocolate bar costs £1.00. How much should the companies be paid for their
part in making the chocolate bar?
The Government
charges tax on the chocolate bars
A chocolate bar costs £1.00. How much should the Government be paid for their
part in making the chocolate bar?
Now,
add up everything. Is it more or less than £1?
Have
a look at the actual amounts each person is paid:
oFarmer – 8p
oCocoa buyers – 7p
oImporter – 14p
oChocolate company – 28p
oShops – 28p
oGovernment – 15p
Do
you think that’s fair?
5. COMENIUS 2012 – 2014
„LEARNING BYEATING“
4) Problems the cocoa farmers have to face
As you can see, the cocoa farmers do only earn a small amount of money for the
hard work they have to fulfill every day.
Additionally, there are many problems a cocoa farmer has to face?
The price of cocoa keeps going up and down on the world market, so there
is no long term security.
The farming equipment, food, medicine, etc. are very expensive.
Machetes and pesticides can be very dangerous.
Children often have to work to bring in extra income for farming families.
Child labour is a big problem in the cocoa industry . The US Department
of State estimates that more than 109,000 children in Cote d’Ivoire’s
cocoa industry alone work under “the worst forms of child labor,” and that
some 10,000 are victims of human trafficking or enslavement.
Very low pay: farmers only receive a fraction of the price paid for each
chocolate bar
5) Fairtrade can help the cocoa farmers
HowdoesFairtradehelp?
Itprotectstheenvironment.
The farmers work together in cooperative.
The farmers are able to wrap up long term contracts.
There is no child labour.
There are better working conditions for everybody involved. Farmers
benefit from minimum health and safety conditions, meaning they are at
less risk of injury.
6. COMENIUS 2012 – 2014
„LEARNING BYEATING“
6) Voices of Fairtrade Farmers
"Fairtrade is good to the farmer and makes us happy. We would like to sellmore
cocoa to Fairtrade so more farmers can taste a better life."
Comfort Kwaasibea, cocoa farmer.
“We can proudly take good care of ourselves and our children... because of
Fairtrade we can stand on our own because we are self-sufficient.”
AkuaGyamfua, cocoa farmer and stall holder.
7. COMENIUS 2012 – 2014
„LEARNING BYEATING“
7) Now it is up to you to go Fairtrade!
Workshop :Buying Fairtrade
You want to convince the students at your school of only buying
Fairtrade chocolate.
Design a power point-presentationwith the most important
facts in order to inform the others.
Have fun!