how k-12 students and teachers can promote fair … action guide 2017 mission street, suite 303, san...

Fair Trade: A Student/Teacher A

ction Guide

2017 Mission Street, Suite 303, San Francisco, CA 941101-800-497-1994 www.globalexchange.org

How K-12 Students and Teachers CanPromote Fair Trade for Farmers Across the World

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Fair Trade Student Action Guide

2017 Mission Street, #303 • San Francisco, CA 94110 • tel 415.255.7296 • fax [email protected] • www.globalexchange.org/cocoa

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Farming feeds us all and employs half the world’s population. Through increased technology and transportationaround the world, we can get any kind of food and large companies are getting lots of profits. The United States isthe world’s largest consumer of coffee, cocoa and other crops from the global South such as bananas, tea, andtropical fruits. Unfortunately, the benefits and profits are not shared with farmers and farm workers in the globalsouth and the USA, who work in "sweatshops in the fields.” Industrial agriculture is destroying rainforests andpolluting air and water. Agriculture is one of the world’s most dangerous jobs, and involves about 70% of all childworkers. These problems are cause by injustices in international and domestic trade. Global coffee prices haveplummeted to all-time lows in recent years, leading to malnutrition, loss of farms, and even increased drug cultivationin Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Cocoa farmers are so poor they have been forced to use child labor and, in theworst cases, child slaves. Banana plantations are known to deny basic labor rights and use pesticides that harmworkers. US family farmers and farm workers face similar problems.

As problems like this become clear, more consumers are asking for products made without exploitation — Fair Tradenot “free trade.” Fortunately, coffee, cocoa, tea, bananas, and fresh fruits with the “Fair Trade Certified” and FairTrade Federation labels can be found in stores across the USA (other food products and crafts also bear the FairTrade Federation label). These two labels are the only guarantee that a product has been independently verified asfair trade following international standards. In the USA, farmers markets and Community supported Agriculture letconsumers return fair prices and appreciation directly to family farmers. About 85% of Fair Trade products are alsoorganic and sustainably farmed, as are crops produced by family farmers in the USA.

Since 1999, Global Exchange has coordinated a Fair Trade campaign involving students, K-12 students, communityand faith-based organizations, labor unions, and environmentalists.Thanks to the work of people across the USA, the number of compa-nies offering entirely Fair Trade products has grown and even compa-nies like Starbucks, Procter & Gamble, and Dunkin’ Donuts offer FairTrade Certified coffee.

This is great, but Fair Trade products represent only a small part ofwhat stores sell and people buy. Fair Trade coops sell 10-20% of theircrop at Fair Trade Certified prices. Given the many problems facingfarmers and farm workers, we have to keep building the market. ThisGuide includes all you need to organize your community around FairTrade. Please share these materials with interested friends andorganizations to make the widest impact. We encourage you to getorganizing tools from the agricultural groups listed in the resourcessection, and use them with this Guide to campaign for total social andenvironmental justics. The best way to get your campaign going strongand have the most impact is to connect with other students working forFair Trade at a new on-line bulletin board: ecofairstudents.tribe.net(teachers and parents, see fairtradeteachers.tribe.net).

For additional information and support, see the resources in the backof this Guide, visit our website, contact us, and sign up for our listserv.Keep in touch about your efforts so we can share your successes withour network and help you build your campaign. We can't wait to hearabout your first moves! We also encourage you to support Fair Tradeproducers by shopping at our Fair Trade stores(globalexchangestore.org), and help keep our campaigns running byjoining Global Exchange or making a donation. You can do this fromour web site or by calling our membership department.

Thank you for working for justice for all who feed the world,

Global Exchange Fair Trade Team

What’s inside...BACKGROUNDFact sheetFrequently asked questions

GET INVOLVED!What you can doLetter for companiesLetter for local businessesFair Trade Campaign “How to”Organizing eventsWorking with the media

MATERIALS TO SHAREStudent/Teacher flyerM&M/Mars flyerFair Trade FlyerFarmer Story: Dominican RepublicFair Trade and the EnvironmentMedia about school campaigns*More flyers at globalexchange.org

RESOURCESResources to get, groups to contactResources from Global Exchange



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Chocolate is made from cocoa beans,which grow in pods on trees in Africa,Latin America and Southeast Asia. Acocoa pod has about 50 beans. It takes400 beans to make 1 pound of chocolate.

The United States buys more chocolateand coffee than any other country. In2002. Americans ate about 3.3 billionpounds of chocolate, worth $13 billion!

In 2000, The US government reported that15,000 children age 9-12 have been soldinto forced labor on cotton, coffee andcocoa farms in the Ivory Coast. The IvoryCoast produces 43% of the world’s cocoa.

284,000 children on West African cocoafarms work in hazardous tasks such asusing machetes and applying pesticides.60% of children working on cocoa farmsin the Ivory Coast don’t attend school.

A huge drop in world coffee prices has ledfarmers into severe poverty, malnutrition,and even increased drug cultivation.

Banana plantations are known for denyingbasic worker rights as well as pesticidemisuse that leads to severe worker harm.

Farmers and farmworkers get only a littlebit of the cost you pay at the store. Cocoafarmers get about 5 cents for every dollaryou spend on chocolate!

West African cocoa farmers earn $30-$108 per household member per year.Coffee farmers earn about $300 per year.Most can’t afford to buy the kind of choco-late and coffee we have in the USA, andhaven’t even tasted it.

Facts about Fair Trade and the Cocoa IndustryIn 2001, US chocolate companies agreedto work to ending abusive child labor.Unfortunately, the plan doesn’t ensure afair price for farmers, meaning that farm-ers will be forced to use child labor.

the BEST solution to the problems facingfarmers and farmworkers is Fair Trade,which guarantees a minimum price, sup-ports community development, promotessustainable farming, and prohibits abusivechild labor.

Fair Trade helps farmers to meet theirbasic needs and send their children toschool instead of needing them to work.

Sales through Fair Trade give farmerstwice as much as sales that aren’t throughFair Trade. Farmers who sell outside ofthe Fair Trade system sell to “middlemen”who pay them only about half of the worldprice. Fair Trade farmers sell directly tocompanies, so they get all of the money.

The Fair Trade cocoa system involvesmore than 42,000 farmers in co-ops from9 countries. The Fair Trade coffeesystem includes more than 550,000 farm-ers in 300 coops from 22 countries.

Fair Trade products such as chocolate,coffee, tea, bananas, fresh fruits, and nutsare available in the USA, and are markedwith the “Fair Trade Certified” or “FairTrade Federation” labels.

Fair Trade producers sell only 10-20% oftheir crop at Fair Trade terms. The rest issold for whatever they can get. Thesefarmers need our help to get more compa-nies, stores, and consumers to buy FairTrade products!



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Frequently Asked QuestionsA. Fair Trade involves independent, third-partyverification that a product was sourced througginternational standards for fair labor and wage condi-tions. Fair trade means that the farmers: 1) receive asufficient price under direct long-term contracts, 2) areorganized into democratic cooperatives (coffee,cocoa, bananas, fruits) or work on larger farms whereworkers receive a living wage and can bargaincollectively (tea, bananas, fruits), 3) do not useabusive child labor or forced labor, and 4) use sustain-able farming methods. Fair Trade products bear theTransFair USA “Fair Trade Certified” and/or “FairTrade Federation” labels.

TransFair USA is a third-party certification agency thatplaces the “Fair Trade Certified” label on coffee,chocolate, cocoa, tea, bananas, and other fruits; andis the USA’s affiliate of the Fair Trade LabellingOrganizations International. The Fair Trade Federa-tion is an association of businesses that follow FairTrade principles across the board; and is an affiliatewith the International Federation of Alternative Trade.The Fair Trade Certified or Fair Trade Federation labelare the only guarantees that every step from the farmto you followed international fair trade criteria.

Q: Why don’t more companies sell Fair TradeA: Even though big companies like M&M/Mars sellbillions of dollars of chocolate, they want to keep mostof it. Paying farmers more means they have lessmoney for themselves, even if it is just a few penniesper candy bar. Also, these companies need morepeople to tell them that they want Fair Trade products,not ones made by child workers or poor farmers. FairTrade co-ops sell only about 10-20% of their crop atFair Trade terms, selling the rest for much lessbecause companies don’t want to pay a fair price.

Q. What are chocolate companies doing aboutabusive child labor on cocoa farms?A. The chocolate industry’s plan involves projects toeducate farmers about child labor and help improvetheir production and marketing, in some cocoafarming areas in Africa. The plan is at candyusa.org

Q. Why is Fair Trade a better solution than whatchocolate companies are doing, and projects thatother companies are doing to help farmers?

A: Unless companies agreed to pay farmers a fairwage, farmers will remain poor and will see no choicebut to have their children work on their farms, or evenuse abusive child labor. Fair Trade offers the bestsolution because it guarantees a fair price and prohib-its abusive child labor and forced labor.

Q: What does organic or “shade grown” mean?A: These are two types of “earth-friendly” products.Organic means that farmers cannot use pesticides andchemical fertilizers.

Q. Are organic and shade grown products free ofabusive child labor? Do these farmers get paid fairly?A. Even though organic and shade grown products aregood, they don’t require any minimum price and theydon’t prohibit abusive child labor. Look for productswith both the Fair Trade label and an organic/shadegrown label to ensure the best for all.

Q: Where can I buy Fair Trade products?A: Look for the Fair Trade Certified and Fair TradeFederation labels! You can get company and storelistings from Global Exchange (globalexchange.org/cocoa), TransFair USA (transfairusa.org), and the FairTrade Federation (www.fairtradefederation.com)

Q. If a product doesn’t have the Fair Trade Certified orFair Trade Federation label but the package talksabout fair trade, is it considered Fair Trade?A. Unless you see the Fair Trade Certified or FairTrade Federation label on that product, you can’tguarantee any claims about its fair trade status.Unfortunately, some companies use fair tradelanguage to seem more ethical than they really are. Ifa package has phrases like “fairly traded,” “made withfair trade ingredients,” “our company follows fair tradepractices,” or “your purchase supports fairness forfarmers,” or something similarly indicating fair tradepractices, contact the company to ask what theirpurchasing practices are. Refer them to TransFairUSA and help build the Fair Trade market!

Q: How can I find more information on the Fair Tradesystem and how farmers can join?A: See the web site for the Fair Trade LabellingOrganizations International: fairtrade.net, and theInternational Federation for Alternative Trade: ifat.org

Q. Are there other Fair Trade products available?YES- you can find hand crafts and other items at:Fair Trade Federation: fairtradefederation.orgGlobal Exchange Fair Trade Stores:globalexchangestore.org



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1. Write letters to big companieslike M&M/Mars, asking them to sellFair Trade. Lots of other schools arewriting to M&M/Mars and if we all dothis together, we will be more likelyto get them to agree with us. Wehope you will write to M&M’s andthen write to other companies, too.

2. Get your school’s chocolatefundraising program, vendingmachines, and cafeteria to useFair Trade (chocolate, bananas/fruit, tea, coffee)! Fair Tradechocolate fundraisers raise money,help farmers, AND educate others!What a deal! If your school doesn’thave a chocolate fundraiser, set oneup with Fair Trade and use themoney for a class trip or project,donate it to a favorite organization,or lots of other good things.

3. Buy only Fair Trade when youbuy chocolate and other prod-ucts. This might mean spending afew pennies more or buying a differ-ent brand, but it will taste evensweeter because you know the farm-ers were paid enough and no chil-dren worked to make your candy.

4. Help your friends and familylearn about farmers and FairTrade. Share this book with them.Ask them to buy Fair Trade products

when they shop. Be sure to askthem to write to companies likeM&M/Mars, too!

5. Ask local stores, cafes, restau-rants, and bakeries to sell FairTrade chocolate and other prod-ucts. Store managers listen to theircustomers and want to make themhappy. If you tell them about FairTrade, they will be likely to sell it.

6. Learn more about Fair Tradefarmers and the places they live.Learn to make food from a cocoa,coffee, or banana growing country.Find out about music from theseplaces. Share what you learn withyour friends, classmates, and family.

7. Become friends with Fair Tradefarmers and their children. Write aletter to tell them about yourself andyour school. They will write backwith stories about themselves. Besure to tell the farmers how you lovethe treats they help make! This willreally make them very happy!

Getting Started! This Action Guidehas all you need to get started onthese projects. For more informationand ideas, contact Global Exchangeand visit our website.

What You Can Do to Help Farmers!



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The following sample letter is for M&M/Mars,maker of M&M’s, Milky Way, and Snickers.Lots of other schools are writing to M&M/Mars because if we all do this together, wewill be more likely to get them to agree withus. We hope you will write to M&M’s andthen write to other companies, too. You canfind the addresses for other companies atwww.radicalthought.org. We have a specialweb page to post student letters and wouldlove to see yours!

TO: Paul Michaels President M&M/Mars Inc.6885 Elm St., McLean, VA 22101

Dear Mr. Michaels,

I am writing to ask you to sell Fair TradeCertified chocolate. I am sad that many kidsmy age are working long hours on cocoafarms. These kids can’t go to school, andthey are paid little or no money. This makeschocolate taste bad to me!

I think Fair Trade is the best way for you endthese problems. Fair Trade gives farmersenough to pay for what they need, send theirkids to school, and have enough money topay their workers. Fair Trade helps farmersstop using child labor and slavery. Fair Tradechocolate will taste a lot better to me!

I have learned that some farmers in the IvoryCoast use child slaves. Many children oncocoa farms in Africa also do unsafe thingslike using machetes and pesticides. A lot ofthese kids have no family members near thecocoa farms, which means that they couldhave been sold to work on the farms. Manyof these kids canot go to school like me. Infact, 2 of every 3 kids on cocoa farms in theIvory Coast can’t afford to go to school!Besides all this, cocoa farmers are reallypoor. I read that cocoa farmers earn only $30to $110 in one year! This poverty is whatcauses slavery and child labor.

I know that your company signed a plan toend child slavery and forced labor on cocoafarms. While this is a positive move, the plandoesn't address the low cocoa prices that arecausing all the problems on cocoa farms. Iam very sad to know that your chocolate willstill be made by children, maybe even slaves.

I think that your company has the responsibil-ity to pay cocoa farmers a Fair Trade pricebecause you earn a lot of money sellingchocolate and a lot of other companies lookup to you. You are one of the biggest compa-nies in the United States so you can afford touse Fair Trade.

A lot of children like your products but wewant you to be a better company to cocoafarmers. Please start selling Fair Tradechocolate so we will feel better about buyingyour products. There is enough cocoa for youto do this now because Fair Trade co-ops sellonly about 10% of their crop at fair tradeprices, and sell the rest for much less.

Thank you for reading my letter. I hope tohear about your plans to sell Fair Trade soon.

Your friend,

YOUR VOICE WILLMAKE A DIFFERENCE!

A group of students in Washington state sent80 letters to M&M/Mars and the company setup two conference phone calls with them! Afew newspapers wrote about the students,too, so that more people learned what wasgoing on! (You can find these articles onGlobal Exchange’s web site.) Students inmany other states, from California and Penn-sylvania to New Hampshire, have sentthousands of letters to M&M/Mars. Yourletter will make the message even stronger!

Letter for Chocolate Companies



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Dear Manager,

As a customer, I care about how what I buyaffects other people and would be happy ifyou would sell and use Fair Trade products.These products ensure fair wages and work-ing conditions for farmers. I go out of my wayto buy Fair Trade and would buy them here.

I love things like chocolate and bananas, buthave learned that many farmers around theworld are too poor to pay for things the, likefood, school for their children, and healthcare Some cocoa farmers in the Ivory Coasteven use child slave labor! Growing cocoa,coffee, and bananas on large farms has alsocaused environmental problems such as lossof trees, and air and water pollution becauseof pesticides and chemicals.

Fair Trade solves these problems by makingsure farmers get a fair price, making surefarmers do not use abusive child labor, andencouraging farmers to use environmentallyfriendly methods. Fair Trade helps farmerstake care of their families, send their childrento school, pay their workers, and take care ofthe earth.

This is why kids and adults like me want tobuy Fair Trade products like chocolate, ba-nanas, coffee, and tea here. Lots of peoplein our town asking businesses like yours forFair Trade products . If you sell/use FairTrade, this will help your business as well asfarmers.

A nonprofit called TransFairUSA(transfairusa.org, 510-663-5260, can helpyou find Fair Trade products. You can alsocontact the Fair Trade Federation(fairtradefederation.com) for companies thatsell a wide variety of fair trade products.

I also hope you tell the companies whoseproducts you sell that lots of people wantFair Trade and that you would like them tosell it to you.

Please sell Fair Trade so we can buy it fromyou and enjoy yummy treats and foods thatare as sweet for farmers as they are for us!Thank you!!

YOUR VOICE WILLMAKE A DIFFERENCE!

A group of students in Washington state wentto their local store as a group and askedthem to start selling Fair Trade chocolate.They told the store manager about the prob-lems on cocoa farms, and how Fair Tradecan help solve these. The, children told thestore manager that they would not buy anychocolate that was not Fair Trade! Themanager listened carefully to the studentsand agreed with them that they had a goodidea. She found out where to get Fair Tradechocolate and now she sells it in the store.You can do this in your town, too!

Letter for Store, Restaurant, Bakery and Cafe Managers



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Campaigning for Fair Trade- a step by step guide

1. Form a Fair Trade Action group!

Get friends together for an after school group.Ask a teacher or parent to work with you. Besure to get lots of different kinds of people in yourgroup: teachers, staff, parents, and other studentand community groups. Figure out how FairTrade relates to different kids of interests so youcan get wide support. When a new person orgroup joins the in campaign, ask them for ideasabout what other groups you could work with.Don’t forget to work with staff from your school ororganization. Staff know the ins and outs of thesystem and work directly with board membersand others who make the ultimate decisions.

2. Choose your goal, or goals

Get your class or school to write to M&M/Mars,asking the company to sell Fair Trade, and hold ameeting or phone call with your class or schoolGet your school/group fundraiser to go Fair TradeGet Fair Trade chocolate in vending machinesGet your school cafeteria to use Fair Tradechocolate, cocoa, bananas/fruit, tea, and coffeeGet local businesses to offer Fair TradeEducate your school and community

3. Research the issues

Make sure you have the facts down well enoughthat you can talk about them in a way that isunderstood and convincing. Use the resourcesin this packet and our website to get started.

4. If you are working on a school/groupfundraiser or talking to local stores

Find out what company supplies the kind ofproducts you wans. This will help you decidewhat to ask your school, club, and businesses

5. Find out who makes the decisions aboutthe campaign area you have chosen

This may involve a few people, such as school ororganization board members, office staff, studentgovernment members, school staff, PTA mem-bers, store managers, or regional buyers for

chain stores. You should also figure out whomight be able to influence key decision makersand how you can get their support. For example,if you have such as a friend, teacher, parent, orstaff person who knows the key decision makers,ask them to help your campaign.

6. Outline your plan of actionUsing what you’ve learned from your research,make a plan for action (a ”strategy”). Be sure toleave room for unexpected turns and ideas frompeople who get involved later.

If you are collecting letters to M&M/Mars, ororganizing an event to educate othersDoing this around holidays or special eventsassociated with chocolate works best. Develop awritten plan stating how many letters you want toget sent, and how this will be done: in classes,during lunch, after school, at special events, etc.If you are planning an educational event, write aclear description of what it will involve. Sharethis educational guide with teachers and parents,and get them to support your plan.

If you are working on a fundraiser, cafeteria,vending machines, or local businesses If thecompany your school or the business usesalready has Fair Trade (check atwww.transfairusa.org), all you have to do is askthem to offer it to your school/group. If yourcompany doesn’t have Fair Trade, the FIRSTthing you should ask your school or organizationto do is ask the company to offer it. There is asample letter in this packet for this. If the com-pany says they won’t offer Fair Trade, then youwill have to ask your school or organization toswitch to a company that does.

7. Make materials for education and action

Be sure your materials are well-formatted, easyto read, and include your contact information.Have a few friends, family members, or otherpeople look over the materials to make sure theyare easy to understand and will convince peopleto support your ideas.

Materials should cover these three main areasa. The PROBLEM: Abusive child labor and



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Fair Trade Fundraisers (continued)poverty on cocoa farmsb. The SOLUTION: What Fair Trade is and why ithelpsc. The ACTION: The goal(s) you chose in Step 1

Materials should be made for different audiences:

a. For writing to M&M/Mars, Use the flyer in thispacket and see letters from other schools andstudents at the Global Exchange web site

b. For public education and getting parents orteachers to support you develop a flyer thatcovers these issues with basic facts supportingeach main idea, or use the flyers in this packet.

c. For school decision makers and businessesyou’ll need more information, but not too much.Put the materials into a packet with a letter(sample in this packet) that covers the problem,solution, and action. You might include:

The problem• The fact sheet in this packet• News articles (See the articles in this packet)

The solution• Background on Fair Trade and how it helpsfarmers (act sheet, flyer, and farmer story)

The Action• A list of companies that have Fair Trade (seeglobalexchange.org, transfairusa.org,fairtradefederation.org)• A list of schools and organizations that arealready using Fair Trade for fundraisers, vendingmachines, and cafeterias. They can’t say yourplan is impossible if others are doing it already!(Contact us for this information.)• Notes, postcards, or petitions requesting FairTrade

8. Getting your school/community involvedPublic support will help you reach your goalfaster, and with the best response. Public educa-tion is the key to getting public support.

a. Draft sample letters to M&M/Mars, schooldecision makers, and local businesses using thematerials in this packet as templates.b. Hand out flyers and collect petition signatures

at the entrance of your school at the beginningand end of the day and at major school events.c. Set up a table and give out your campaignmaterials - along with samples of the Fair Tradeproducts you are working on - before or afterschool, at lunchtime and meetings, etc.d. Ask other groups if you can hand out materi-als, collect signatures.e. Give out Fair Trade treats when tabling or atevents - you get a ready-made crowd! Ask localstores to donate the samples, and list them as asponsor if you table or hold an event

9. Hold an Assembly, Event, or Give a TalkOrganize a school assembly or educational eventfeaturing students, faculty, staff, and an outsidegroup with expertise on the issue. To make theissues real and keep the audience’s attention,include some videos and photos, and even ashort skit or two. Be sure to leave time for ques-tions and answers at the end. Don’t forget tomention your campaign to set up a Fair Tradefundraiser at the beginning and end of the as-sembly, and a few more times through the event!See the event organizing guide and the resourcelists in this packet to get started. Be sure tohave chocolate, cocoa, Public Education materi-als, petitions and other Action Tools for yourcampaign, and a sign-up sheet available after theevent. In addition to organizing an assembly andpublic events, ask teachers to let you talk aboutFair Trade in their classes and offer to speak atthe meetings of local organizations.

10. Get the media interested and show themthat the community is supportive.Ask supportive parents teachers, and children towrite op-eds and letters to the editor throughoutthe campaign. Once you get rolling with yourcampaign to collect letters for M&M/Mars; getFair Trade for your fundraiser, cafeteria, orvending machines; or lobby local stores, contactthe media in your community and at your schooland ask them to do a story about your work.Write letters to the editor and op-eds in support ofyour campaign. Keep the local press informedat every stage of the process by sending mediaadvisories to local newspapers, radio, and TV.



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11. Hold Creative ActionsOrganize creative actions with your group anduse the media to get your school to take action inyour M&M/Mars letter writing campaign or letdecision makers know you are serious aboutgetting Fair Trade Certified products at yourschool and in local businesses. Get classroomsto send cards to key decision makers. Organizea parade to the principal’s office! Set up a website and use media to make it known you believein what you are doing!

12. Keep your supporters involvedAs you are collecting more and more letters toM&M/Mars, making progress with your schoolcampaign, or getting local businesses to offerFair Trade, make sure to get more and morepeople in your school and community to voicetheir support for your work. Organize a commu-nity-wide “call-in” day during which people fromevery neighborhood will call M&M/Mars, boardmembers, or their local stores in support of thecampaign. If a particular board member or busi-ness member is opposed to Fair Trade, askpeople to call them in particular. It may behelpful to draft sample letters, postcards, andphone call “talking points,” but please remindpeople that they will have the most effect whenthey act as individuals, using their own words.

13. Getting support from key decision makers

a. Initial OutreachFirst, send or personally deliver the materialsyou’ve developed to each teacher, fundraisingdecision maker, or business and ask for theirsupport. Be sure to follow-up with more phonecalls and an offer to provide more informationand answer questions as needed. Identify a fewsupportive teachers, fundraising decision mak-ers, or businesses. Once you have enlisted thesupport of one or two key people, they can helpyou learn how decisions are made and how toget wider support.

Schedule an initial meeting with some teachers,fundraising decision makers, or business owners.Make sure one of your key supporters can come.Bring in the materials you’ve prepared. Soundexcited but reasonable and informed. Take their

concerns seriously. They will want to how FairTrade works, why it is important, and how it will fitinto the school’s curriculum, help fundraising, orhelp business. Emphasize how important it is forsocial justice, educational, and environmentalreasons so they’ll be more likely take it seriously.Offer to help make materials to help teacherscollect letters to M&M/Mars, and promote FairTrade in your school and businesses.

* Making chocolate sales, vending machines, oryour cafeteria Fair Trade: Special stepsFor these, will probably have to make a presenta-tion at least one public meeting for your schoolboard or organization’s board of directors. De-velop a short, clear, and convincing presentationincluding the three main ideas mentioned earlier:the PROBLEM, SOLUTION, and ACTION.Present each of these main ideas with a well-chosen selection of information, photos, andvideo as appropriate. Be sure to give examplesof companies you could switch to and nameschools/organizations that have already switchedto Fair Trade for fundraisers, vending machines,ro cafeterias successfully. Practice your talk foryour parents, teachers and some friends and askthem to help you improve it.

Be sure to go to all board meetings when yourissue is scheduled. From the moment of introduc-tion to the time for vote, make sure your groupturns out supporters who can speak on behalf ofyour campaign. In some cases, committees orsubcommittees will consider the resolution beforethe full board does. Make sure you attend thesemeetings and present your case when publicinput is allowed.

Pack the house. On the day your proposal isgoing to be voted on, make sure the boardmeeting is filled with supporters of your cam-paign- especially parents and children! Bringcolorful and eye-catching signs to show support.Encourage supporters to speak in favor of thecampaign when the public is allowed to speak,and make sure you have a few people ready withprepared remarks. The day of the vote is yourfinal chance to show that the community reallycares about your issue.

Fair Trade Campaigns(continued)



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14. CELEBRATE your victory!When you reach your goal, organize a pressconference- its a newsworthy event. When youcollect your desired number of letter to M&M/Mars, make a display with the letters and somelarge posters. Invite the media to interviewstudents and take photos of your letter display.Do a skit for the local TV news .If you et yourschool or organization to use Fair Trade for itsfundraising program, or get local businesses tooffer Fair Trade Have a ceremony when the firstbar of Fair Trade Certified chocolate is deliveredfor your fundraiser, vending machines, or to thelocal store; or when your cafeteria first servesFair Trade foods.

9. Follow UpAfter you write to M&M/Mars, you’ll get a formletter back

If you do a fundraiser or business campaign,make sure that things are progressing in a timelymanner and see how you can help keep thingsmoving. Help promote Fair Trade so it sells- andfarmers get the income they need! If thingsdon’t happen as promised, let supporters, boardmembers/businesses and the media know.

SAMPLE LETTER TODECISION MAKERS

Dear Decision Maker,

We, a group of concerned students, staff, teach-ers, parents and community members, are writingto ask that our chocolate fundraising programbegin to use Fair Trade chocolate and cocoa.We know that our fundraiser is an important partof our budget but want to be sure that our profitsdon’t come at the expense of cocoa farmers andtheir kids . To help you understand this request,we are sending information on the hardships ofcocoa farming, why Fair Trade is important, andhow we can get Fair Trade chocolate and cocoafor our program.

We have learned that most cocoa farmers are sopoor the must have their children work, or even

use child slaves. The US chocolate industry hasagreed to work to end child slavery by 2005 buttheir plan doesn’t guarantee stable and sufficientcocoa prices, which is the only way to end abu-sive child labor once and for all.

The BEST solution is Fair Trade, which givesfarmers a minimum price, prohibits abusive childlabor and forced labor, supports communitydevelopment, and encourages sustainablefarming. Fair Trade cocoa farmers can afford tosend their children to school and pay their work-ers instead of using child slaves.

For these reasons, we would like our fundraisingprogram to use Fair Trade chocolate and cocoa.We are asking you to help with this by writing anofficial letter to the company that supplies ourchocolate and ask them to offer Fair Trade. Ifthey will not offer Fair Trade, we would like toswitch to or add a company that has it.

Demand for Fair Trade is growing in our schooland community. Selling Fair Trade chocolatewould allow us to meet our fundraising needs is away that helps cocoa farmers and their familiesmuch more than our current program does.

Fundraising is a big business for America’schocolate companies and it is one of the majorways that our children learn about chocolateproduction. Though chocolate fundraisers havebenefited us, they haven’t done much to helpcocoa farming families. Fair Trade fundraiserswill help us bring better lives to cocoa farmersand their families and teach our children valuesthat will make them good global citizens.

We would like to discuss this issue with you andwill call to set a meeting soon. Please contactus if you have any questions.

Sincerely,CONTACT NAME, PHONE, E-MAIL

Fair Trade Campaigns (continued)



12

Dear,

Our school/organization has used your fundraisingcompany for many years. We enjoy working with youand have found the program to be quite successful.However, we are gravely concerned about child laborand poverty on cocoa farms and want to begin sellingFair Trade chocolate and cocoa so that our profits donot come at the expense of child workers and poorcocoa farmers.

As you may know, child slavery on Ivory Coast cocoafarms was reported by the International Labor Organi-zation and the US State Department. The Interna-tional Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) found thatover 284,000 children on West African cocoa farmswork in hazardous tasks such as using machetes andapplying pesticides without protection. In addition,12,500 children had no relatives in the area, meaningthey could have been brought in as slaves. More than66% of children on Ivory Coast cocoa farms don’tattend school.

These problems are all due to poverty, caused byinsufficient cocoa prices. Annual cocoa revenuesaverage $30 to $110 per household member, making"it difficult for families to have sufficient income tomeet their needs." (IITA) In the worst cases, farmershave resorted to child slavery.

Though child slavery has been found only in the IvoryCoast, no source of cocoa is immune from theseproblems because poverty pervades cocoa growingregions across Latin America, and Southeast Asia.Unless you help end poverty among cocoa producers,the problems found in West Africa will spread.

We know about the chocolate industry’s anti-slaveryProtocol, as well as associated pilot projects, anddevelopment work. Though these are positive moves,they don’t guarantee stable and sufficient revenuesfor cocoa farmers, which is the only way to end childslavery and poverty for good. The Protocol alsoinvolves “voluntary standards,” so companies don’teven have to follow it.

We are deeply saddened by this situation and believethat your company, as a leader chocolate industry,and a company that reaches countless childrenthrough fundraising programs that use your products,has the responsibility to ensure that its products are isproduced under fair labor conditions. You can do thisby offering Fair Trade chocolate and cocoa.

We believe Fair Trade is the best way to stop abusivechild labor and help cocoa farmers meet basic needs

and send their kids to school. It ensures a living wagefor cocoa farmers and prohibits abusive child labor,and forced labor. Demand for Fair Trade is increasingamong students and schools nationwide so you willhave the support of your customers like us if you oferFair Trade chocolate products.

You can find out how to get Fair Trade chocolate andcocoa from TransFair USA (transfairusa.org), the non-profit, independent Fair Trade certifier in the USA, orthe Fair Trade Federation (fairtradefederation.com).

Thank you for your consideration. We would verymuch appreciate a reply about your plans to seek FairTrade Certification.

Sincerely,

SAMPLE LETTER TO FUNDRAISING COMPANY

YOUR VOICE WILL

MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Town Times (Connecticut) June 20, 2003Board Of Education Hears Student RequestsBy Carolyn Wallach

The Board of Education held its last meeting of the schoolyear on June 11. In a well-prepared and convincing presenta-tion, a group of freshmen encouraged the board to restrict thesale of certain chocolate at school fundraisers. The studentsdescribed the connection between chocolate production andchild slavery in West Africa. According to their information, two-thirds of the U.S. chocolate market is controlled by Hershey'sand Mars, companies which purchase cocoa from West Africabut which have not yet actively addressed the problem of childslavery. The students argued that selling chocolate and can-dies produced by Hershey's and Mars conflicts with the mis-sion and CORE ethical values of District 13. "It is immoral toallow this to continue when we know that we can do some-thing about it," they said. The students suggested that forfundraisers such as the junior class candy sale, groups sellcandy from "fair trade companies," companies whose producthas been certified "slave free." Board members respondedfavorably to the students, but pointed out that the issue couldnot be decided immediately. Joyce Kellish, chairperson of theBOE, thanked the students for their efforts. "I appreciate thework you've put into this. It's obvious you've prepared well,"said Kellish, before assigning the matter to the policy commit-tee for further study. In the meantime, the board encouragedSuperintendent Breck to talk with district administrators andthe junior class advisor and let them know that the BOE will beconsidering policy on this issue.



13

How to Organize an Educational EventEducational events are powerful ways toinform and activate members of your com-munity. Videos, plays, and speakers whoare experts on the issue are especially greatways to do this. Events are most effectivewhen they supply real solutions - like FairTrade-and help people get together to pro-mote these solutions. Events should give aboost to your existing campaign and bring innew people to your campaign.

First things first: What to do before youstart to organize the event

Find a speakerSome important factors to consider whenchoosing a speaker are reputation, availabil-ity and cost. Images and videos can be verypowerful additions to your event so you mayconsider showing slides, a short film or anexcerpt from a film with the talk. You mightalso use a longer-length film for the mainevent and follow that with a discussion ledby an outside speaker or someone from yourgroup.

Think about your audience and yourgoalsWhat are you trying to accomplish by bring-ing the speaker? Who do you want to attendthe event? How will you get the word out?Do you plan on doing media outreach?Flyers, events, calendars, mail, e-mail,phone calls, public service announcements,press releases and word-of mouth are allgood ways to get people to the event.

Get cosponsors.Brainstorm and ask other members of yourgroup for suggestions of other groups thatmay be willing to cosponsor the event withyou. Cosponsors are a key component togenerating an audience and sharing thework of organizing an event. The point is toget as many people to the event as possible.A larger audience will come if you have

outside help. Contact the organizations youthink would be interested and explain tothem that you are bringing a speaker for anevent and that you would like for them to bea cosponsor. When they say “yes,” suggestthat they help with outreach by inviting theirmembers. Among other things, they may beable to help publicize the event by putting iton their web site, or adding their name to apress release. Also, don’t be afraid to askthem to contribute funds if you need moneyfor things like making materials, payingspeakers, and hosting speakers. This is nottoo much to ask to ask if the organization’sname is associated with the event. Offer inreturn to include their name on any publicitymaterials that will be produced.

Plan the event: The when, where, who andhow

Select a dateThe date obviously is dependent on otherfactors, such as the availability of the speak-ers, availability of a venue, and whateverelse is being planned in your communityaround the same time. Try not to have yourevent on the same day as other similarevents or events that you know everyonewants to go to. Also, it is a good idea toorganize an event around a date that hassome significance to your theme. For ex-ample, Halloween and Valentines Day aregreta times to talk about Fair Trade choco-late and cocoa.

Find a locationThe ideal location is a free one, and onethat is fully wheelchair accessible. Try to geta space donated to you. start with yourschool first. Faith-based groups, communitycenters, schools and universities are alsogood places to check out. Also, considerthe what size space you need. This is re-lated to how many people you expect to



14

How to Organize an Educational Event (continued)attend. Remember to arrange for any audio-visual needs such a microphone, overhead,white board, or slide projector.

Develop and distribute outreach materialsEvent fliers, mail invitations, e-mail invita-tions, public service announcements andpress materials are very important if you wantto people at your event. Distribute the fliersas much to friends, around school, at localshops and organizations, and around com-munity bulletin board. Also use the media toget the word out. Write a press release andsend it to local media so they will cover theevent. Send a flier to make sure the eventgets announced on by radio stations andincluded in the community calendar or eventssection of local newspapers and magazines.The sooner you have materials ready, thebetter, especially for the media.

Prepare to hostIf you have a speaker, decide who will helpget them to your event. If the speaker is fromout of town, do your best to make the chosenplace as comfortable as possible for theguests. Home stays are fine, but try andmake sure that the speakers have their ownrooms and privacy to relax.

Setting up the event

Get to your event early to be sure everythingis ready. If you are using any equipmentsuch as a projector, video, microphone, etc,test it and be sure you know how to work it incase there is a problem during the event.

Make sure to have an information and actiontable at the event, including the Public Edu-cation materials and Action Tools in thispacket. Have a sign up sheet for people whowant to get involved in your campaign. Putout a donation basket if you need to raisemoney to cover event costs.

Take advantage of the speakers’ presence

in your communityHave the speaker visit school board officials,classes, local organizations, and local busi-nesses to talk about Fair Trade. Organizevisits and/or interviews with the speakers andlocal journalists.

Evaluation and follow upAfter the event has ended successfully,consider what went well and all that didn’t.Learn from the mistakes and remember whatworked. Thank your cosponsors, the audi-ence, your members and anybody thathelped to make the event a success.

Contact peope who signed up to get involvedand organize a meeting to get people to-gether and plan your next activities.

Meet with school officials, local businesses,and local organizations to talk about yourcampaign and how they can support it...

...the possibilities are endless.

Mary Adu Kumi is a member of the Kuapa KokooFair Trade cooperative in Ghana. She came to the USAto talk about Fair Trade in April 2003. She was great!



15

Elements• Headline. This will make or break a news

release—include the most important informationin the headline, and make it punchy. The headlinecan be up to four lines if necessary, including asub-head, if used, but keep it short (and rememberto use a large font).

• Important information should jump off the page—most reporters will only spend 30 seconds lookingat a release.

• Spend 75 percent of your time writing theheadline and the first paragraph.

• Use the inverted pyramid style of news writing.Make your most important points early in therelease and work your way down.

• Keep sentences and paragraphs short. No morethan three sentences per paragraph.

• Include a colorful quote from a spokesperson inthe second or third paragraph.

• Include a short summary of your organization inthe last paragraph.

• Mention “Photo Opportunity” if there is one. Besure to send a copy of the release to the photodesk.

Structure / Form• In the top left corner, type “For Immediate

Release.”• Below “For Immediate Release,” type the date.• Contact Information: In the top right corner, type

names and phone numbers of two contacts.Make sure these contacts can be easily reached

Press ReleaseA Press Release informs reporters about your event or issue. It should tell all the information a reporter

needs to write their piece. Envision, then write the press release as the news story YOU would wantto see written. Send it out the morning of or the day before the event.

by phone. Including the contact’s home phonenumber, if appropriate.

• Type “###” at the end of your release. This ishow journalists mark the end of a news copy.

• Type “MORE” at the end of page 1 if yourrelease is two pages, and put a contact phonenumber and short headline in the upper-right ofsubsequent pages.

• Print your release on your organization’sletterhead.

How to Distribute It• A release should be sent out the morning of, or

the day before your event. In some cases, youmay want to send an “embargoed” copy toselect reporters ahead of time, meaning thatthe information is confidential until the date youspecify.

• Generally, send this to only one reporter peroutlet.

• If your release announces an event, send it tothe “daybooks.” A daybook lists news eventsscheduled to take place in the region on thatday. Someone from each major outlet reviewsthe daybooks each morning.

• ALWAYS make follow up calls after you sendthe release. If your release is announcing anevent, make the calls the morning before yourevent is scheduled.

• Have a copy of the release ready to be faxedwhen you make the calls.

(Adapted from Salzman’s “Making the News” and SPIN Project Materials)

If you want to talk to people outsideof your group and get them to support what you are working for, youwill need to get the support of the media. Telling a story or communicating a point of view to reporters andeditors is a special art. You have to be clear and brief and at the same time very thoughtful. You have toknow certain tricks of the trade that will help your issue stand out from the hundreds of other interestingthings happening in the world. The information on the next few pages will help you get your importantissues into the media’s eye through press releases, pitching a story, writing a letter to the editor, andother important tips. If you would like more guidance on working with the media, Global Exchange’scommunications team is more than happy to help you! You can contact Tim Kingston,[email protected] and 415-255-7296 x 229. Best of luck!

How to use the media to share your message



16

• Phone calls are the best way to communicatewith reporters. Reporters get a lot of faxes and e-mail and what you sent may get lost in the pile.• Contact reporters who cover your issue, andreporters you know of. If you don’t know anyreporters, ask the general assignment editor whoyou should speak to.•Show the reporter how your story is significant,dramatic, controversial, timely, or impacts lots ofreaders.• Always pitch the story first, and then ask if theyreceived your release. Immediately capture theinterest of the reporter.• Keep the call short and interesting. Reportersdon’t have time for long calls, so get to the mostinteresting and important information in the first90 seconds. Don’t forget the basic facts.• Be enthusiastic and helpful. If you’re not excitedabout your story, why should the reporter be?• Never lie to a reporter. They may not like what

Pitching Your Story - “Going to Bat” for your cause!you have to say, but they must respect you.• Be considerate of deadlines. Calls are bestmade in the mid morning (9:30 to noon). If yousense a reporter is in a hurry, ask them if they areon deadline and offer to call back.• Only call one reporter per outlet.If you do talk tomore than oneperson (which sometimes isnecessary), make sure the other reporter knowsthat you’ve talked with someone else.• Ask the reporter if they are interested or if theyare coming to the event. Most will not commitover the phone but they will think about it.• Offer to send information if they don’t commit toattend your event or cannot attend. Send theinformation right away.• Don’t get frustrated. Calls can be frustratingwhen reporters don’t bite. But, every call keepsyour issue on their radar screen, and is an impor-tant step in building an on-going relationship withreporters.

Holding a Media EventA media event is an activity intended to generate news coverage.

They often involve gimmicky visuals, playful stunts, props, etc.

• Is your site too commonly used for mediaevents? Try to find a unique location.• If your event is outdoors, do you have abackup location? A little rain or bad weatherwon’t ruin an event, but severe conditions will.Consider if it is possible to postpone it if theweather is very bad.• Do you need a permit? Check with thepolice.

•Have photographers take pictures.• Display a large banner or sign with yourorganization’s logo.•The event should last 15 to 45 minutes.•Distribute information on your issue &organization.•Remember equipment. Will you need amegaphone, podium, or portable microphone?•Have spokespersons ready to beinterviewed.•Find out which reporters attended the event.Follow up with the no-shows.

• Make sure your event is newsworthy. Themore of the following characteristics it has, themore likely it will get coverage:• Novelty • Conflict • Humor • Action• New data, sign of a trend • Simplicity• Prominent figure involved • Local impact• Holidays, anniversaries. • Bright props• Build your media event—site, speakers,visuals—around your message and slogan.• Make it fun. If you don’t look like you want tobe there, why should the press?• Don’t be afraid to employ stunts. Clever andsurprising events are more interesting thanlong range things to the media.• Consider timing. Is your event competing withother things? It is best to stage an eventMonday through Thursday, 10 A.M. though 2P.M.

•Find a good location. Consider the following:•Is the site convenient? Reporters are busyand won’t travel far for an event.


There is a better way - Fair Trade!! There is a better way - Fair Trade!! There is a better way - Fair Trade!! There is a better way - Fair Trade!! There is a better way - Fair Trade!!Fair Trade farmers get a fair price and don’t use abusive child labor. Fair Tradefarmers can feed their families, send their kids to school, and pay their work-ers, and protectthe earth. Unfortunately, these farmers sell only a little bit of theircocoa at Fair trade prices because big companies don’t use Fair Trade. We need tosupport Fair Trade so kids can go to school instead of working on cocoa farms!

Calling all students and teachers!Calling all students and teachers!Calling all students and teachers!Calling all students and teachers!Calling all students and teachers!Support Fair Trade, Stop Child LaborSupport Fair Trade, Stop Child LaborSupport Fair Trade, Stop Child LaborSupport Fair Trade, Stop Child LaborSupport Fair Trade, Stop Child Labor

1. ASK M&M/Mars for Fair Trade.Write the company a letter and call toask for a conference call or meeting.2. Get your school/group chocolateFUNDRAISER to use Fair Trade!3. BUY Fair Trade chocolate and cocoa.4. Spread the word! Have a poster con-test or assembly. Tell your family5. ASK local businesses for Fair Trade.

Global Exchange coordinates a FairTrade Chocolate Campaign, and haseducational materials for studentsand teachers, a great web site, andmore. Contact us for materials andideas [email protected],415-255-7296 Go Fair Trade!! It’s the best!!

More than 284,000 children work indangerous tasks on West Africancocoa farms. Over 60% of kids on IvoryCoast cocoa farms aren’t in school.Some Ivory Coast cocoa farms even usechild slaves!

West African cocoa farmers earnabout $30-$108 per year- not enoughto pay their workers or send their kids toschool! Companies can afford to payfarmers more - the owners of M&M/Mars are each worth $10.4 billion

You can help!You can help!You can help!You can help!You can help!


The US State Dept. and the ILO have reported abusive child laborand lack of schooling on West African cocoa farms. The cause?Poverty: cocoa farmers earn about $30-$108 per family member.

The Solution? FAIR TRADE CERTIFIED, which guarantees aliving wage and prohibits abusive labor. Fair Trade farmers cansend their kids to school and pay their workers.

M&M/Mars - the world’s #1 chocolate company, with annualrevenues of $16 billion and owners worth $10.4 billion each -refuses to offer Fair Trade despite massive consumer outcry.

Demand Fair Trade from M&M/Mars!800-627-7852800 High StreetHackettstown, NJ [email protected]: globalexchange.org/cocoa

Get Involved, Learn More, Find Fair Trade products!415-255-7296, [email protected]

CHILD LABOR TAINTSTHE FLAVOR.

SHARE THE LOVEDEMAND FAIR TRADE!!

• A crash in world coffee prices has led topoverty, malnutrition, and drug cultivation.

•West African cocoa farms are home towidespread child labor and even childslavery.

• Banana plantations are notorious for unionbusting and worker harm fromagrochemicals.

• Corporations like M&M/Mars, P&G, andChiquita bring in billions, while farmers andfarmworkers farmers earn $30-$300 peryear.

•Plantation-style farming is causing pollution,deforestation, and songbird extinction.

• World Bank and IMF policies leave farmersat the mercy of the market and corporations.

• Minimum sustainable price under direct,long-term contracts and access to credit

• Prohibits forced and abusive child labor• Farmers are organized in cooperatives.

Plantation workers have the right tounionize and bargain collectively.

• Promotes sustainable farming• Fair Trade benefits over 800,000 farming

families in more than 48 countries acrossAfrica, Asia, and Latin America,

• Fair Trade co-ops sell about 10-20% of theircrop at Fair Trade prices. The rest is soldfor less, often below production costs.

FAIR TRADENOT “free trade”!

1 BUY Fair Trade Certified organic and FairTrade Federation products, as well as localorganic produce - from co-ops, farmers’ markets,and Community Supported Agriculture groups.

2 ASK local businesses to sell and use Fair Tradeorganic products, and local organic produce.

3 DEMAND Fair Trade from corporations

M&M/MarsPaul Michaels, President M&M/Mars6885 Elm St.,McLean, VA 22101800-627-7852, [email protected]

StarbucksOrin Smith, CEOP.O. Box 34067, Seattle, WA 98124800-235-2883, [email protected]

4 ORGANIZE a Fair Trade action group in yourcommunity, campus, work, or school.

5 LOBBY legislators to support Fair Trade over“free trade.” Get your city council to pass resolu-tions for Fair Trade and opposing the FTAA.

6 TRAVEL with GX’s Reality Tours to meet andlearn from Fair Trade producers. Live and workwith Nicaraguan coffee farmers on GX’s “FairHarvest.” info: [email protected]

7 SUPPORT Fair Trade by joining GX, making adonation, and shopping at our on-line and retailstores. Fair trade producers - and our cam-paigns- depend on your ongoing support.

8 CONNECT with Fair Traders on our listserve.E-mail [email protected]

TAKE ACTIONFOR FAIR TRADE

With world market prices as low asthey are right now, a lot of farmerscannot maintain their families andtheir land anymore. We need Fair

Trade now more than ever."Jerónimo Bollen, Guatemala

Manos Campesinas cooperative.

See globalexchange.org “Fair Trade” forIdeas, Action Tools, Resources, CompanyListings, Activist Network, and more!

Shop Fair Trade: globalexchangestore.org

Fair Trade Benefits

• 2017 Mission Street, #303 • San Francisco, CA 94110 •• 415.255.7296 • [email protected] •

• www.globalexchange.org •

Fair Trade Campaign


The Conacado cooperativeThe Conacado Fair Trade cocoa cooperative is lo-cated in the Dominican Republic, an island in theCarribbean Sea. Conacado was founded in 1988,and joined the Fair Trade system in 1995. The coun-try has seen an increase in tourism over the past yearsbut this has not helped cocoa farmers too much. Mostof Conacado’s farmers still have to work on biggerplantations because they do not earn enough fromtheir own cocoa farms to make ends meet.

Conacado has about 9,000 members who are locatedall over the country. themembers have organzedsmaller regional groupscalled “bloque” that set upworkshops on organic farm-ing and quality improve-ment, in addition to manyother kinds of activities.

The cooperative’s goals areto create work and incomefor disadvantaged groups,increase quality and produc-tivity of cocoa crops, set updirect trade relationships,and provide credit and tech-nical assistance to produc-ers.

Cocoa production inConacadoConacado’s members counton cocoa for about 90% oftheir total income. The pro-ducers also grow crops suchas bananas, citric fruits, po-tatoes, other vegetables and coffee. They sell theselocally and use them for food at home.

Conacado’s cocoa has always been grown with or-ganic and shade grown methods. The Fair Tradesystem supports farming methods that are safe forthe environment and public health like these, by en-couraging earth-friendly growing methods and offer-ing a higher price for organic cocoa than non-organiccocoa.

The country’s tropical weather offers the perfect grow-ing conditions for cocoa but also involves yearly hurri-canes that can destroy crops quickly. Farmers in thecountry were devastated in 1998 when HurricaneGeorge destroyed the majority of cocoa plants andshade trees. The government had little funding, andmost of the farmers were poor and could not get loans.

Fair Trade has helped Conacado get through difficulttimes like these because it ensures that farmers havethe income, saving, and other resources they needin good times and bad.

Fair Trade guarantees a mini-mum price of $.80/pound un-der long-term contracts, ac-cess to credit, and prohibitsabusive child labor and forcedlabor. Fair Trade farmershave toi set aside some oftheir income for communitydevelopment and farmertraining. Fair Trade saleshave provided the coopera-tive with enough income tomeet basic expenses and in-vest in the future.

Isidoro de la Rosa, the direc-tor of Conacado, explains:“With the Fairtrade premiumof 1999, we had planned tobuild some important roads,but with Hurricane George,which destroyed many of thefarms and reduced our pro-duction with 70%, the GeneralAssembly of members de-

cided to use this money to ‘clean up’ the damagedfarms and to create nurseries for new planting mate-rial.”

Conacado’s capacity for production has improvedsince its incorporation but remains at the mercy oftropical weather patterns. As a result of HurricaneGeorge, total

Fair Trade Cocoa Farmers in the Dominican Republic: Conacado

Fair Trade Campaign


cocoa production dropped from 5,799 tons in 1998 to1,912 tons in 1999 while total exports dropped from3,724 tons to 1,555 tons across this time. On the posi-tive side, Fair Trade sales rose from 88 tons in 1998 to234 tons in 1999.

Benefits of Fair TradeFair Trade has helped Conacado’s farmers in many im-portant ways in addition to supporting rebuilding afterHurricane George. The cooperative has organized work-shops to teach farmers how toimprove fermentation tech-niques, expand sustainablegrowing methods, increase pro-ductivity, and participate moreactively in the cooperative. Inaddition to these programs,Conacado facilitates manyother projects, some with fund-ing from other NGO’s. One ex-ample is the Juntas MujeresCampesinas, which is a groupof three women’s organizationsthat oversee the production ofwine, bread, liquor, jam, choco-late and organic fertilizers.

Isidoro has expressed just howmuch the cooperative and FairTrade system have offered tofarmers and their communities:“In our country there was no tra-dition of fermenting cocoa. Withthe Fairtrade income, we wereable to implement a fermenta-tion programme to improve thequality and to convert our pro-duction to certified organic. This improved our positionin the export-market. These days the competition forsmall-scale farmers organizations has become very ag-gressive, so only niche markets allow us to survive.”

Future plans for ConacadoFor Conacado, Fair Trade has paved the way for re-newal, and continues to be a foundation of hope forcontinued growth. However, Conacado’s members stillsell much of their cocoa in the conventional marketwhere prices have been below the cost of productionfor over two years. “We would like to see the Fairtradesales increase to improve our market position,” saysIsidoro. Farmer incomes are sufficient to cover the ba-

sic costs of living but do not leave room for savings orextra expenses such as home improvements. Familieswith especially large numbers of children still can’t af-ford to send them all to school. In addition, as late as2000 many cocoa gardens were still covered with denseweeds, awaiting the funds for replanting.

Increased consumer demand is the key that will openup the Fair Trade market and bring Conacado’s mem-bers the additional Fair Trade revenues they need so

much. By buying Fair Trade chocolateand advocating for it in your local com-munity and beyond, you can help buildthe Fair Trade market and ensure thatchocolate is as sweet for the farmersas it is for you. See the following re-sources to learn more and get startedtoday!

RESOURCES

Fair Trade companies that use co-coa from CONACADO

Equal [email protected]

Dagoba Organic Chocolatewww.dagobachocolate.comdagobachocolate@cs.com514-664-9030

La Siembra Cooperative [email protected] www.lasiembra.com

Get involved & learn more!

Global Exchange Fair Trade Campaign415-255-7296, [email protected]

Fair Trade Foundation UKwww.fairtrade.org.uk

Fair Trade Labeling Organizations Internationalwww.fairtrade.net

Fair Trade Cocoa Farmers in the Dominican Republic (continued)


Traditional FarmingCocoa, coffee, bananas and other crops are grown on“understory” trees that originated in Latin American andAfrican rainforests. When grown beneath a diverse coverof shade trees, which is the traditional method, theseplants provide habitat for wildlife such as birds, butter-flies, insects, and animals. Traditional farmers gener-ally use sustainable agricultural techniques includingcomposting, rotating crops, and not applying expensivechemicals and fertilizers. In addition, they typically cul-tivate cocoa and coffee alongside other plants such asbanana and nut trees that provide food for the farmers’families as well as additional sources of income.

Industrial Farming–DeforestationTo meet the world’s growingdemand for tropical crops,high yield sun-grown hybridswere developed during the“Green Revolution” in the1970’s. Sun cultivation in-volves clear cutting, result-ing in significant deforesta-tion of pristine rainforests inLatin America and Africa.The Smithsonian MigratoryBird Center has identifieddeforestation from intensivecoffee farming as one of themajor threats to songbirds inthe western hemisphere.The Sierra Club reported15% of the Ivory Coast’s rainforests had been defor-ested for cocoa production by 2000. Sun cultivation isalso associated with single-croping or “monoculture,”removing the biodiversity needed to sustain plant andanimal life, and threatening local food security.

Industrial Farming–Pesticide and Fertilizer PollutionIndustrial farming also require large amounts of chemi-cal fertilizers and pesticides, which poison local air andwater. This has put local animal populations and thosewho live and work in the community at the risk of beingexposed to dangerous levels of these compounds. DDT,an insecticide that affects the nervous system, liver, andkidneys, was banned in the US in 1972 but is still usedwidely in coffee cultivation. On top of this, pesticidesuse is actually increasing the problems they were de-signed to control. In 1998, the Smithsonian Tropical Re-search Institute concluded that the overuse of pesticidesin cacao cultivation had actually encouraged the devel-opment of more virulent strains of pests and diseases.This has forced farmers to abandon their farms afteronly a few years and move on to a new area of the

rainforest to start the cycle of catastrophe all over again.

Genetic ModificationAction Aid in the UK reported industry research to de-velop GMO coffee that can be ripened all at once, in-creasing yield and decreasing labor costs. Widespreadapplication of GMO coffee are poised to change coffeeproduction fundamentally, at the risk of putting millionsof small farmers out of business.

Shade-grown & Organic FarmingThere is good news: Agriculture can be beneficial if doneproperly.Sustainability is in fact the traditional way offarmily for small-scale producers. The World Watch In-stitute noted that traditional cacao farming could bring

the damaged Brazilianrainforest back to itsrichly diverse naturalstate. In addition, be-cause traditional meth-ods allow for more roombetween plants, theynaturally minimize thespread of the commondiseases that bringfarmers to use chemicalpesticides. As for themany species that thrivein the shady rainforest,Jeff Parrish of the Na-ture Conservancy statedthat “Cacao habitats can

harbor high species richness equal to or even surpass-ing that of forest. Although cacao should not replaceforest, as many bird species can only survive within largeintact tracts of forest habitat, cacao has been shown toclearly supplement forest habitat and enhance the sur-vival of threatened species in an increasingly fragmentedlandscape. Since cacao can buffer national parks andreserves from more damaging practices, it serves as amutually beneficial land use for both farmers and con-servationists alike.” The same is true for coffee.

Organic and Shade-grown CertificationMany small-scale farmers still use traditional methods,growing their crop organically under a shade canopy.These farmers benefit not only by having cleaner airand water, but may receive better revenues becauseorganic products yield a higher price than conventionalones. Thanks to the involvement of several certifica-tion organization and increasing consumer demand, en-vironmentally sustainable products are becoming easier

Fair Trade and the Environment


Trade system, farmer cooperatives are paid directly andreceive a minimum price perpound. Fair Trade coop-eratives receive a higher price for organic than non-or-ganic, representing another incentive for organic pro-duction in the Fair Trade system.

Fair Trade farmers speak about sustainabilityFair Trade farmers realize both the environmental andeconomic benefits of using organic methods. CayetanoIco, chairman and farmer from the TCGA cooperative inBelize stated: “Our objectives for the next years are to… promote production of organic cocoa among ourmembers, to promote education and awareness con-cerning the ecosystem and to diversify production. We

still need to learn a lot andgain experience in tradingand marketing. Fairtradegives us this possibility.”

Paying farmers a fairwage and offering incen-tives for ecological prac-tices is the best way toencourage sustainablefarming. Organic andshade-grown labels havemade important contribu-tions in promoting sus-tainable techniques that

benefit farmers, the environment, and consumers. How-ever, we still need to ensure that the benefits reach thefarmer as well as consumers and the environment. FairTrade guarantees this. Consumers who want to do whatis good for workers, trees, birds, and our shared envi-ronment can buy products that are multiply certified: FairTrade, Organic and Shade Grown.

Get involved & learn more!

Global Exchange Fair Trade Campaigns415-255-7296, [email protected]

Organic Consumers Associationwww.organicconsumers.org

Rainforest Alliancewww.rainforest-alliance.org

Smithsonian Migratory Bird Centerwww.si.edu/smbc

Where to find Fair Trade ProductsTransFair USA www.fairtradecertified.orgFair Trade Federation www.fairtradefederation.com

to identify and more widely available in the US. Or-ganic products are certified in the US by organizationsapproved by the USDA. “Bird-friendly” or shade-grownproducts bear the seal of the Smithsonian Migratory BirdCenter or the Rainforest Alliance. Support sustainablepractices and the farmers who use them by looking forthese labels on Fair Trade Certified products.

Fair Trade certification and sustainabilityIt is important to remember that Fair Trade, shade-grown,and organic mean different things, even though theyshare some of the same criteria or may make similarclaims. Sustainable farming is the traditional route forthe small farmers who make up Fair Trade co-ops be-cause theytend to be thebest stewardsof the land andpossess thehighest inter-est in keepingthe natural en-v i r o n m e n thealthy fortheir familiesand future gen-erations. In ad-dition, smallfarmers typically do not have the money to cut downforests or purchase large amounts of chemicals.

Although Fair Trade criteria do not mandate organic andshade grown methods, several aspects of the Fair Tradesystem support sustainable production and farmers areactively encouraged to seek organic certification. FairTrade criteria ban certain pesticides and require the useof integrated crop management, where organic meth-ods of pest/disease control and fertilization are empha-sized over chemical ones. Fair Trade cooperatives arealso required to set aside revenues for technical work-shops, which often address the benefits and proper useof sustainable techniques and thus promote their in-creased use. As a result, most Fair Trade Certified prod-ucts are shade grown and either passive or certified or-ganic. To be sure, look for the organic and shade-grownlabels on Fair Trade products!

One key difference between Fair Trade and eco-friendlylabels is that only Fair Trade guarantees that producersreceive the stable, minimum price they need. Somecertified organic products are purchased from Fair Tradecooperatives, but unless a product is Fair Trade Certi-fied, there is no guarantee that the farmer received thebenefit or that adequate prices will continue. In the Fair

Fair Trade and the Environment

January 29, 2002

By Cara Solomon

The microphone stood at the ready. The se-quence of speakers had been set. The EastCoast phone number for Mars Inc. lay by thephone. But before she dialed into the 11 a.m.conference call, Christina Todd had somethingshe wanted to say. “I don’t want to hear anyzippers zipping or any pencils tapping,” said theseventh-grade teacher, looking out at a sea ofchildren’s faces.

More than 60 students at Chinook MiddleSchool in Clyde Hill gathered in the libraryyesterday to hear one company’s side of thechild-labor story. Since learning about forcedchild labor on cocoa farms in West Africa, thestudents in Todd’s world-cultures classes havesnapped into action.

They wrote nearly 80 letters to Mars Inc., oneof the largest chocolate makers in America,asking the company to sell products certifiedunder the “Fair Trade” international system ofmonitoring and certification that’s intended toguarantee farmers are paid a fair price for theirproduct. Liliana Esposito, head of Mars’ publicrelations, said she was impressed by thequality and quantity of the letters she received.In the spirit of educating young consumers, sheset up two conference calls — the first todiscuss the company’s position, the second toallow the children to make recommendations.

“They were so excited that they got a re-sponse,” Todd said, adding that she hadn’tanticipated anything more than a form letter. “Ithink they just felt really empowered.” Twelvestudents volunteered to represent their class inthe conference call and signed a contract withTodd promising to take the responsibility seri-ously. In recent weeks, the students spent theirafter-school hours poring over labor contractsand joint agreements, highlighting agriculturalsurveys and boning up on statistics online.

Jack Gonya stepped to the microphone yester-day morning and read aloud a summary of thejoint agreement signed by chocolate manufac-

turers worldwide — a statement that says childlabor is unacceptable and must be eradicatedby 2005. “My question is, like, um ... why waituntil 2005?” he asked. Esposito said the com-pany has already instituted some programs toimprove the quality of life for cocoa farmers.She described 2005 as the absolute deadlinefor implementing a wide-scale plan to eradicatethe exploitation of child labor.

One by one, the students hammered away atthe question of why Mars Inc. would not adhereto the “Fair-Trade” rules. And one by one,Esposito addressed their concerns, reiteratingthe company position: After consulting withchild-labor experts, the company came up witha different approach to the problem, she said.Instead of boycotting farms that use child labor,the company is working to educate farmers andease the conditions that create the need forchild labor. “I think it’s great that kids at thatage are interested in social issues,” Espositosaid after the conference call. “It’s really re-freshing to see.”

After the conference call, the students milledabout discussing their impressions. HarrisonLull said he found Esposito persuasive butquestioned some of her facts. He said he thinksthe company is taking the easy way out of theproblem. “It all rides back to money,” he said.“Even putting the ‘Fair-Trade’ label on theirpackages costs money.” But Edward Nolan,who introduced the class position to Esposito atthe start of the conference call, said he was notso sure the ‘Fair-Trade’ certification was theway to go. “Contrary to most people’s opinion, Ithought she gave a comprehensive and con-vincing argument,” he said. “I thought it wasvery helpful to get the other side.”

Clyde Hill students grill company about child labor

Call &M/Mars and ask for a meeting orconference call with YOUR school orgroup!

Call 800-627-7852 and ask for LilianaEsposito, who did the conference call withthese students.



26

LIFE ON COCOA FARMS

International Institute of TropicalAgriculture. Child Labor in theCocoa Sector in West Africa: Asynthesis of findings inCameroon, Côte d’Ivoire,Ghana, and Nigeria.

Raghavan, S. and Chatterjee, S.Much of America’s Sweets MadePossible Through Slave Laboron Ivory Coast. Knight RidderNews Service. June 25, 2001

News: globalexchange.org/cocoa, “Updates”

FAIR TRADE

Fair Trade Labelling Organiza-tions Int’l www.fairtrade.net

New Internationalist. Best of theBest. New Internationalist.

Ransom, David. The No-Non-sense Guide to Fair Trade.

FARMER STORIES/PHOTOS

globalexchange.org/cocoa “Farmer Profiles” “Resources”

Grout, Phil. Harvest of Hope.2003. (From serrv.org/divine orglobalexchangestore.org)

Fairtrade Federation UKwww.fairtrade.org.uk

Fairtrade Labelling Organiza-tions Internationalwww.fairtrade.net

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

Global Exchange K-12 materi-als and lesson Plans, FairTrade Toolkit, links and more.globalexchange.org/cocoa“Resources” and “Links”

HISTORY, PROCESSING,FACTS

Chicago Field Museum ofNatural Historywww.fmnh.org/Chocolate/exhibits.html

International Cocoa Organiza-tion www.icco.org

FAIR TRADE GROUPS

TransFair [email protected]

Global Exchange415-255-7296fairtrade@globalexchange.orgwww.globalexchange.org

SERRV1.888.294.9657www.serrv.org

Fair Trade Federation202.872.5329info@fairtradefederation.orgwww.fairtradefederation.org

Fair Trade Resource Network202.302.0976info@fairtraderesource.orgwww.fairtraderesource.org

IInterfaith Fair Trade [email protected]/fairtrade/ifti

Oxfam [email protected]

GROUPS WORKING TO ENDABUSIVE CHILDLABOR

Free the [email protected]

Free the Childrenwww.freethechildren.org

International Labor Rights Fund [email protected]

Save the Children Canada416.221.5501 or [email protected]

AFRICA ISSUES

Advocacy Network for Africa/Africa Action 202.546.7961www.africaaction.org

Africa Faith and Justice [email protected]

Africa Trade Policy Working [email protected]

ECOLOGICAL ISSUES

Organic Consumers Associationwww.organicconsumers.org

Rainforest Alliance212.677.1900, 1.888.MY [email protected]



27

More Resources from GX! (website or mail)Educational materials: K-2, 3-6, JH/HSFair Trade ToolkitFair Trade and the EnvironmentFair Trade cocoa farmer stories: Belize, Bolivia,Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador,Ghana, NicacaguaFair Trae coffee farmer stories: El Salvador,Ethiopia, Mexico, NicaraguaM&M/MarsCampaign flyer

From Global Exchange’sOn-line Fair Trade store

globalexchangestore.orgstoremaster@globalexchange.org415-553-4412

We Need to Go to School: Voices of the RugmarkChildren. Complied by Tanya Roberts-Davis

In their own words and drawings, Nepalese childrentalk about their early years in poverty-stricken villages,their work as virtual slaves in carpet factories inKathmandu, and how they felt when they were given achance to attend school and pursue their dreams forthe future. ($19.95)

No Nonsense Guide to Fair Trade. David Ransom.2001

Fair Trade primer that offers chapters on NAFTA, FairTrade coffee, chocolate, and bananas, blue jeans,where to buy Fair Trade goods, and more. ($10)

The No Nonsense Guide to Globalization. 2001.

This book traces the journey towards a 'borderless'world and shows how the promise of globalization isseductive, powerful - and ultimately hollow. Chaptersinclude a history of globalization, the Bretton WoodsTrio, debt and structural adjustment, corporations,global economics, poverty, environment, the market,and ideas for redesigning the global economy. ($10).

Views from the South: The Effects of Globalization andthe WTO on Third World Countries. Martin Khor,Vandana Shiva, Walden Bello, Oronto Douglas, SaraLarrain, & Anuradha Mittal, forward by Jerry Mander,ed. Sarah Anderson. 1999 (100 p).

A comprehensive perspective on the WTO from some

of the leading voices from the South. The authorsshow how trade agreements fail to benefit the ThirdWorld or the poor, and have created extra burdens.($15)

Take It Personally. How to Make Conscious Choicesto Change the World. Anita Roddick. 2001 (256 p).

Anita Roddick presents a vibrant collection ofphotographs, essays, montages, and quoted on thedriving issues behind globalization from impassionedwriters and activist organizations. This is the defini-tive handbook for anyone who wants to learn aboutthe issues and make informed choices. ($24.95)

Artisans and Cooperatives: Developing AlternativeTrade for the Global Economy. Eds. Kimberly M.Grimes & B. Lynne Milgram. 2000 (208 p).

Bringing together case studies from the Americasand Asia, this collection addresses the interplaybetween craft production and the global market. Itcontributes to current debates on economic inequal-ity by offering practical examples of relevant political,economic, and cultural issues. ($19.95)

AND.. Fair Trade chocolate, hot cocoa, bakingcocoa, coffee, tea, and more treats!

Resources from Global Exchange

PHOTO CREDITS

p 21,22 Fair Trade Foundation UKp 1,2,14, 23, 28 Melissa A Schweisguth/GlobalExchangep 7 Linda Trofatterp 20 Peace Coffee. 27 David Hanks/Global Exchange

Global Exchange is an international human rights organi-zation dedicated to promoting environmental, political andsocial justice. Since our founding in 1988, we have increasedthe US public’s global awareness while building partnershipsamong peoples around the world.

This Student Action Guide can be downloaded forfree at www.globalexchange.org/cocoa.

To order copies of this How-To Guide for a $5 donation,e-mail [email protected], 415-255-7296.

2017 Mission Street, Suite 303San Francisco, CA 94110Telephone: 415-255-7296

Fax: 415-255-7498www.globalexchange.org

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