(Photos – Fairtrade Foundation)
Students may be interested in exploring the links between chocolate and development in under-funded countries, such as those in Africa that grow cocoa beans.
There are numerous relevant websites such as:
- Fairtrade (www.fairtrade.org.uk)
- Oxfam (www.oxfam.org.uk)
- The Co-operative (www.co-op.co.uk)
- The Guardian (www.guardian.co.uk)
- The Independent (www.independent.co.uk)
The sites will lead on to other sites which the students can search if they wish. Some of the sites (e.g. Oxfam) have pages that have been prepared for school children and these may be useful for students with lower language skills.
Possible areas to consider:
- the prices paid to the growers
- the percentage of the cost of a chocolate bar that goes to the growers
- support for farmers from the multinationals
- slavery
On the next few pages, there are some useful articles (slightly edited); alternatively, the unedited versions can be found through the websites.
Having visited the websites, you can write reports on these topics and prepare to give a 5-10 minute presentation to other students on a particular topic.