Cocoa
Published on Nov 19, 2015
Child labour and fair trade on cocoa farms in west Africa.
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PRESENTATION OUTLINE
IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS
Cacao: The tree and the bean from which cocoa is extracted.
Cocoa: a substance made from the fermented, dried and processed seed/bean of the cacao tree. With the addition of ingredients like fats and sugar, cocoa is the primary ingredient of chocolate
Photo by seelensturm
Two-thirds of the world's cocoa is produced in West African countries like the Ivory Coast and Ghana. For 90% of farmers in these two countries, cocoa is their main source of money. In over 30 countries, more than 14 million people earn their money/living off of farming cocoa. But they can barely survive on the money they are receiving for their work.
Photo by cindy47452
For every $1 spent on cocoa...
7 cents goes to cocoa farmers.
7 cents goes to a tax from the exporting country.
41 cents goes to the chocolate manufacturer.
28 cents goes to the chocolate retailers.
17 cents goes to government taxes.
This all equals up to 100 cents.
Photo by incurable_hippie
Cocoa is the world's third largest traded food ingredient. Average household incomes for cocoa farmers in West Africa were between $44 and $158 per year.
Photo by aresauburn™
Usually, the farmers children have to work on the farms. This means they can not attend school (usually they can't afford it anyway) and it puts them into dangerous work environments. Approximately, more than a quarter of a million children have no choice but to work in hazardous conditions on cocoa farms in West Africa.
Photo by Kheel Center, Cornell University
Children have to use dangerous tools like machetes and apply hazardous pesticides. Up to 60% of children working on these farms in the Ivory Coast have never been to school.
Photo by elbragon
Slavery is a very bad problem on the cocoa farms, in the Ivory Coast.
The world's six large chocolate companies control 80% of the cocoa market. The companies ensure that the farmers get a low profit so they can keep the high profits for themselves.
Photo by jacilluch
While you are enjoying your delicious chocolate at home, remember that the cocoa farmers are paying the price.
Photo by DFAT photo library
The main importers of Conventionally Traded Cocoa are Europe and the United States. The main importers of Fair Trade Cocoa are United Kingdom, United States, France, Germany and the Netherlands.
Photo by DFAT photo library
The conventionally traded price of cocoa in 2008 was $1400/tonne. The fair trade price of cocoa in 2008 was $1600/tonne, fair trade premium: $200/tonne and organic premium $150/tonne.
Photo by EJP Photo
Cocoa production has many underage children working in dangerous environments.
Photo by Kheel Center, Cornell University
Working on a cocoa farm is hard labour. Knives are used throughout the whole process. It is definitely not a place where children should be.
Photo by __o__
Hazards for children working on the farms are:
injuries, poisoning and long term health problems for chemicals, snake and insect bites, exhaustion, skin cancer, sexual abuse and stress.
Photo by Natasha Mhatre
Fair Trade farmers receive enough money to cover the costs of sustainable production. They also receive a fair trade premium to invest in initiatives in their communities.
Photo by SarahC73
Some of the Fair Trade Standards are:
Producers are small family farms.
No use of dangerous agrochemicals.
No forced labour of any kind, including child labour, is permitted.
(there are many more.)
Photo by The AgriCultures Network
Cocoa Facts:
Chocolate is made from fat, sugar and cocoa.
Canada is the world's 14th largest consumer of chocolate.
Many cocoa farmers have never tasted chocolate.
More than 15,000 children have been sold into slavery to work on cocoa, cotton and coffee farms.
Photo by jetalone
Question time?!
Which part of the world consumes the most chocolate?
A) Africa
B) North America:
the United States
C) Europe
Photo by Leo Reynolds
C!! Europe consumes 49.32% of the world's chocolate! That's basically half!
Photo by Stuck in Customs
