12. What are the problems cocoa
farmers face?
Price of cocoa Very low pay:
keeps going up farmers only
and down on the receive a fraction
world market = no of the price paid
long term security for each chocolate
bar
Farming
equipment,
Changing to
food, medicine
produce other
etc are very
crops is difficult
expensive
Children often Scales are
Machetes and
have to work to often „fixed‟
pesticides can
bring in extra to show a
be very
income for higher reading
dangerous.
farming families than is true
13. How does Fairtrade help?
Protects the Long term
environment A minimum contracts
price
The “Fairtrade
Premium”
Working
together in
No child labour
“cooperatives”
Better working
conditions
Able to borrow
money safely
14. "Fairtrade is good to the
farmer and makes us
happy. We would like to
sell more cocoa to Fairtrade
so more farmers can taste a
Comfort Kwaasibea, cocoa farmer.
better life."
15. “We can proudly take good
care of ourselves and our
children... because of
Fairtrade we can stand on
our own because we are Akua Gyamfua, cocoa farmer
and stall holder.
self sufficient.”
16.
17. How to taste chocolate
• Listen for the snap!
• Smell the chocolate
• Check the appearance
• “Mouth feel”
• Making notes – flavours, textures,
the finish and the aftertaste.
Notes de l'éditeur
Ask your group do they like chocolate? What kind of chocolate? What chocolate do they have in their bags today? What’s the favourite? How much do you spend a week on chocolate? But what do we actually know about chocolate – does anyone know how it is grown for example? Where it comes from? Who is involved in the supply chain? Brainstorm ideas.
Farmers are encouraged and help to protect the environment. Farmers receive a guaranteed minimum price, giving them the chance to live rather than just survive. Contracts are long term where possible, allowing farmers peace of mind and the security to plan for the future.An extra ‘Fairtrade Premium’ is also paid to Fairtrade cooperatives, which is invested into community projects such as building schools or clean water wells. The worst types of child labour are removed (For more details on child labour in fair trade: Visit http://www.traidcraft.co.uk/publications_and_resources/traidcraft_publications/factsheets.htm) Farmers benefit from minimum health and safety conditions, meaning they are at less risk of injury. Farmers benefit from the reassurance of working as part of a group - co-operatives are also democratic, so each farmer gets to have their say about how their cocoa is sold, and where the Fairtrade premium is spent. Farmers are encouraged and helped to protect the environment, ensuring that their (and others) livelihoods won’t be lost.
www.fairtrade.org
www.fairtrade.org
(You may want to use Traidcraft’s range of more than just chocolate for this activity; buy online at www.traidcraftshop.co.uk or call us on 0191 4973999 if you have questions about discounts and invoicing). Chocolate tasting (like wine tasting!) is a bit of an art. Encourage your group to follow the guidelines for chocolate tasting like a professional and then see if they can guess the flavour. Listen for the snap – good chocolate should make a snapping noise when you break it, it shouldn’t be too soft. The higher the cocoa content the louder the snap!Note any unusual aromas when you are smelling the chocolate. Check the appearance – good chocolate should be glossy and not discoloured or uneven in colour. This means it has been well mixed and stored properly.Break off quite a small piece and let the flavours fill your entire mouth.“Mouth feel” is the technical term used in chocolate tasting for how the chocolate tastes in your mouth. You may want to close your eyes to identify the different flavours. Think about whether the chocolate is bitter, sweet, dry, brittle, smooth and how long the taste lasts for. Try and be creative in your description of the chocolate, for example is it “velvety, earthy, smokey”?