Fair trade cocoa facts for kids
Fair trade cocoa is a special kind of cocoa. It comes from cocoa trees grown by farmers who follow fair trade rules. These rules help farmers earn a fair price for their cocoa beans. This means they can have a steady income for their families.
When you see the Fairtrade symbol on chocolate, it means the cocoa was grown fairly. This helps farmers and their communities. It also supports farming practices that are good for the environment.
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Why Fair Trade Cocoa Started
For a long time, most cocoa came from small family farms. These farms were mainly in West Africa and Latin America. Farmers often sold their cocoa without knowing its true value. They received very low prices for their hard work.
Sometimes, these low prices meant farmers couldn't afford enough workers. This led to serious problems, including children being forced to work in unsafe conditions. Fair trade cocoa was created to fix these issues.
The first fair trade cocoa product appeared in 1994. It was a chocolate bar from Belize. This was a big step towards helping cocoa farmers. Today, many organizations work together to certify fair trade products. One important group is Fairtrade International.
In the early 2000s, people learned more about children working in cocoa production. Some lawmakers in the United States wanted to make sure chocolate was made without unfair child labor. The chocolate industry agreed to a voluntary plan. This plan aimed to stop the worst forms of child labor in cocoa farming.
However, even by 2016, many children in West Africa were still doing dangerous work on cocoa farms. Farmers often earned less than $1 a day. This made it very hard for them to escape poverty. Solving this problem requires efforts from governments, companies, and communities.
How Fair Trade Helps Farmers
Fair trade organizations have clear rules to help cocoa farmers. These rules make sure farmers are treated fairly and can improve their lives.
Fair Prices and Community Support
Fair trade helps farmers work together in groups called cooperatives. This way, they can sell their cocoa for better prices. Buyers also pay extra money for community projects. This money helps build schools, health clinics, and brings clean water to villages. It also helps farmers learn new skills.
Protecting the Environment
Fair trade standards also protect our planet. They encourage farmers to use farming methods that are good for the environment. This means avoiding harmful chemicals and genetically modified crops (GMOs). They focus on keeping the soil and water healthy.
Ensuring Safe Work for Children
A very important part of fair trade is protecting children. Fair trade groups regularly check farms to make sure no children are forced to work. If problems are found, they act quickly to keep children safe. This helps children go to school instead of working in fields.
Fair Trade Cocoa in the USA
Many countries supply fair trade cocoa to the United States. These include Bolivia, Côte d'Ivoire, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ghana, Panama, and Peru.
The amount of fair trade cocoa products sold in the U.S. grew a lot around 2010. However, it still makes up a small part of all chocolate sold. Sometimes, a product can be called "Fair Trade Chocolate" even if only a small amount of its cocoa is fair trade certified. This can happen if other ingredients are fair trade.
How Fair Trade Changes Lives
Fair trade makes a big difference in the lives of cocoa farmers and their families. It helps them earn more money and build better communities.
More Money for Farmers
Farmers who grow cocoa beans usually get a very small part of the final chocolate bar's price. In places like Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire, farmers might earn as little as 50 cents a day. Their income depends mostly on cocoa farming.
Fair trade sets a minimum price for cocoa. This means farmers always get a fair amount, even if market prices drop. For example, in 2011, the minimum price was set at $2000 per metric ton. This gives farmers financial stability. It helps them plan for the future and improves their quality of life.
Many cocoa farmers are getting older. Young people often leave farming because the pay is too low. Fair trade helps keep younger generations interested in farming by offering better wages. This ensures that cocoa farming can continue for years to come.
Building Stronger Communities
Fair trade also provides extra money for community projects. Since 2002, millions of dollars have gone to cocoa farming communities. These funds help improve healthcare and education. They also support women and protect the environment. Many of these communities are in West Africa and Latin America.
Helping Women Farmers
Women do a lot of the work on cocoa farms. However, they often earn less than men. In Côte d'Ivoire, women do almost 70% of the farm labor but get only about 20% of the income. Fair trade makes sure everyone is paid equally, no matter their gender.
When women earn more, they can invest in their farms. This helps them grow better crops. It also improves the lives of their children and families.
Challenges in Cocoa-Growing Regions
Sometimes, political disagreements can affect cocoa farming. In Côte d'Ivoire, cocoa is very important for the country's economy. In the past, different groups struggled for control over cocoa-producing areas. Money from cocoa sales sometimes supported these struggles.
During a political disagreement in 2010, there was a call to stop cocoa exports. This was meant to cut off funding for one of the groups. The European Union supported this ban. Farmers still harvested their cocoa, but much of it could not be exported. Some cocoa was moved through neighboring countries. This shows how important stability is for farmers.
Protecting the Environment in Cocoa Farming
Cocoa farming can sometimes harm the environment. In Ghana, a major cocoa producer, some traditional farming methods have caused problems. These include polluting water and soil with pesticides. They can also affect the air.
Fair trade certification requires cocoa farmers to follow environmental rules. They must check how their farming affects nature. Then, they create plans to reduce any harm. These plans include using water wisely and rotating crops. They also aim to reduce carbon emissions and protect different types of plants and animals.
Fair trade rules forbid harmful chemicals and genetically modified crops. They also make sure farmers use only safe pesticides. This helps protect both the environment and the health of the farmers. Farmers often work without proper protective gear. Fair trade helps them earn enough to buy this gear. This keeps them safe from dangerous chemicals.
Companies and Fair Trade Cocoa
The chocolate industry is huge, worth billions of dollars each year. Many companies are now choosing to use fair trade cocoa. This helps them support ethical farming practices.
Some companies, like Ben & Jerry's, have committed to using fair trade cocoa in all their products. Other companies, like Cadbury, have launched their own programs. Cadbury's Cocoa Life program aims to help many fair trade cocoa farmers. These efforts show a growing commitment to fair and sustainable cocoa.
Protecting Children in Cocoa Farming
Low wages in traditional cocoa farming often mean farmers cannot afford enough adult workers. This can lead to children being forced to work. In 2009, over 109,000 children in Côte d'Ivoire were involved in child labor. This meant many children could not go to school.
Fair trade practices strictly forbid child labor. Farmers are paid a fair wage, so they can hire adult workers. This allows more children to attend school and get an education. Education is a key step to breaking the cycle of poverty.
Experts agree that paying farmers a fair price is the best way to end child labor. This allows farmers to employ adults. It also helps them understand market prices better.
By 2012, the goal set by the US cocoa industry to end abusive child labor had not been met. Many human rights organizations believe that consumers can make a difference. By choosing fair trade cocoa, people show companies that they want chocolate made without child labor.
A 2016 study found that about 2.1 million children in West Africa were still doing dangerous work on cocoa farms. Farmers often earned very little, sometimes less than $1 a day. This makes it hard to improve the situation quickly.
Leaders in the cocoa industry and communities agree that solving child labor is a huge task. It needs everyone's help: governments, communities, and private companies.
See also
 | Selma Burke |
 | Pauline Powell Burns |
 | Frederick J. Brown |
 | Robert Blackburn |
