madisons humanities presentation cocoa to chocolate write up

2007

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Where is Ghana? How is Cocoa Made?

The Fairtrade News

Ghana is a small country

located on the western

coast of africa. It’s main

exports are Cocoa and

Gold both of which it has

plenty of...It is bordered

by Cote d’ivoire to the

West and Burkina Faso to

the East. Unfortunatelly

Ghana was listed in the

top ten worst economically

maneged countries in the

world, a high percentage

of local Ghanan’s live

under the poverty line.

This is widelly due to the

fact that Ghanan Cocoa

farmers often end up

selling their cocoa to

major companies for

appalingly small sums of

money.

1- Cocoa pods are carefully cut off of Cocoa trees

2- The pods are opened

3- The beans are left to ferment in the sun wrapped in

Plantain leaves, this step is essential to develop the beans

“Flavor”

4- Then the beans are spread onto a large table to dryn.

5- The beans are then shipped off and roasted in a different

facility at between 120 and 149 degrees Celcius

6- Then the beans are crushed then blown through a wind

tunnel, this process seperates the shells and nibs.

7- the nibs are ground up into “cocoa mass” a rich liquid

composing 55-60% made of cocoa butter.

8- The cocoa mass is pressurised until it seperates into cocoa

butter and cocoa powder (used in chocolate drinks)

9- Cocoa mass and butter are mixed along with other

ingredients, cooled, and shaped into chocolate bars

Ghana

Divine Chocolate

Kuapa Kokoo

2007



How is the trading chain

unfair to farmers?What is the Cocoa trading Chain?

The Fairtrade News

If you look at the amount of money the Ghanan cocoa farmer makes Vs. The amount of work he is actually doing, you can see just how unfair the current Cocoa Trading Chain is. It is Important to note that many of the jobs with higher incomes are done in developed countries that are already very wealthy. Another incresing issue is the use of subsities. A subsitie is a garentied price give by the government. If that farmer sells his produce for any less than that price then the goverment will give him the extra money...Unfortuatelly, farmers in many developed countries are using subsities as an excuse o sell their products at lower costs, because the government will pay them a steady price anyways. Farmers in Ghana are forced to match these prices in order to make a sale, the difference is without govrnment subsities, they have no other source of income and will fall into poverty.

Farmers: 13 cents / Pound of Cocoa• grow and care for the cocoa trees for three to five years • harvest the cocoa pods in very hot temperatures • remove the beans from the pods• ferment the beans for six days and dry them for ten days

Cocoa buyers: 11 cents / Pound of Cocoa• weigh the sacks of beans• pay the farmer for the beans• arrange to take the beans to the port.

Importers: 22 cents / Pound of Cocoa• arrange transport for the beans from Ghana to the UK and Ireland• turn the beans into cocoa solids and cocoa butter.

Chocolate companies: 44 cents / Pound of Cocoa• buy the cocoa solids and cocoa butter• buy the other ingredients• make the chocolate bars• pay for the chocolate bar wrappers• pay for advertising the chocolate bars.

Shops: 24 cents / Pound of Chocolate• buy the chocolate bars from the chocolate companies• sell the chocolate bars to shoppers.

What can you do as a consumer?Now that you know all about the issues of unfair trade and

Cocoa in Ghana...how can you help. Well...next time your at

your favorite super market and you buy a choclate look for a

bar with a fair trade logo (as shown on the front page) For

more information go to the next page.

2007



History and Goals Interview with a Farmer...

The Fairtrade News

Kuapa Kookoo was fist establised in 1993. Kuapa Kokoo’s goal is to develop itself into a formidable farmer-based organisation capable of mobilising quality cocoa products, improving the livelihood of members and satisfying customers. After all, the sentance Kuapa Kokoo really means “good Farmers”. They strive to be a transparent, Democratic, commited cooperative, who care for the community. They seek to empower Ghanan Cocoa farmers and encourage environmentally sustainable Cocoa production in Ghana.There are certain standards a farmer must reach in order to become a member of Kuapa Kokoo, for example, you must not use children on your farm

Elis Mohammed - “After the liberalization of the cocoa sector in Ghana, many companies sprang up. I sold my cocoa to some of them and realized they were no different from the government company we dealt with in the past. A friend of mine from the Sefwi area visited me one day in my village and told about Kuapa Kokoo and the fact that it is owned by farmers. It was the first time I was hearing something like that! I quickly informed some of my friends in my village and we went to the Kuapa office to request that a society be opened for us.

Kuapa Kokoo is about the best thing that has happened to Bayerebon No.3 in the last ten years. Our dilapidated primary school building was pulled down about seven years ago and a new six classroom block with a library, head teacher’s office and store constructed for our wards. Not long ago, another three classroom block to house the Junior High School was also put up by Kuapa Kokoo. This school now serves six other communities nearby. It has well over 600 pupils with 16 teachers.

Bayerebon No.3 has no electricity and therefore it is very difficult to get kids to learn in the evenings. Through the efforts of Kuapa Kokoo, Miss Karen Bridges a teacher from the UK came to live with us for over two years. She helped us buy a generator for the school which we are still using to this day” Quote from Elis Mohammed.

Kuapa Kokoo CooperativeKuapa Kokoo is a cooperative of Ghanan Farmers who

fight for a better price on local Cocoa. They work in

colaboration with Divine Chocolates work to improve the

social, economic and political wellbeing of there

members. They produce most free trade chocolate in the

country. They are a perfect example of a fair trade Co.

Wrapping Up...In conclussion, Ghana...is a perfect example of the Fair Trade mentality put to use. Next

Time you go to the store make sure that chocolate bar you buy has one of these

on it, that means its a fair trade chocolate bar. Go fair trade because it will immediatelly

have a possitive effect on a Ghanan farmers life Socially, Politically and Economically in

ways you could only begin to imagine.

A proud supporter of Kuapa Kokoo Fair Trade Chocolate

Fair Trade Approved

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