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Chocolate
Forty-six percent of Americans
say they can't live without it. For candy bars in the US, truffles filled
in Belgian confectionaries, and chocolate soup in South America, cocoa
beans are ground, processed and transformed into delectable chocolate
treats enjoyed all over the world.
Many small-scale family cocoa farmers, however, face tremendous instability.
They are often forced to sell their harvest to local middlemen who use
rigged scales or misrepresent world prices. The situation is made worse
by a volatile cocoa world market price. Media reports of child slavery
on West African cocoa estates show the stark contrast between the delicious
treat we enjoy and the often difficult working conditions of the people
who produce it.
Dignity for cocoa farmers
Fair Trade certification ensures that cocoa farmers receive a fair price
for their harvest; creates direct trade links between farmer-owned cooperatives
and buyers; and provides access to affordable credit. Fair Trade gives
farmers the tools to access the market and farm sustainably. On Fair Trade
farms, slave labor is strictly prohibited and farms are inspected to ensure
that Fair Trade standards are being met.
From the farmer to you
Through Fair Trade, more than 42,000 cocoa farmers in West Africa, the
Carribean and Central and South America are earning a decent price for
their high quality crop. The Fair Trade Certified™ label on your hot cocoa
and Fair Trade Certified chocolate bar is your guarantee that your purchase is directly benefiting
cocoa farmers and their families thousands of miles away.
Click here to view
a list of companies offering Fair Trade Certified chocolate.
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"Even as persistently small cocoa crops drove prices up over
the last two years, cocoa bean farmers enjoyed little of the gain. Industry
experts say that local exporters have systematically shortchanged the growers,
buying their beans cheaply and selling at big profits in the rising
market".
- NY Times, 10/31/02
"Before we farmers were cheated...
People adjusted the scales. We got little money from the purchasing clerks and
no bonuses. Fair Trade deserves its name because it is fair. We would like more
cocoa to be sold to Fair Trade because it means a better price for the
producer".
- Comfort Kumeah, member of Kuapa Kokoo
Fair Trade
Cooperative |
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