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Fair Trade Chocolate Campaign

A How-To Guide That Shows What You Can Do to Promote Fair Trade for Cocoa Farmers

Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Action Pack “We had very hard times in the 1980s when the price of cocoa beans went down. The money we used to get from selling our cocoa beans to the government didn’t give us enough to buy materials or a pump for our own water supply. Many farmers were so desperate that they sold the cacao trees for wood. Things are better now that I have joined a cooperative.” –Asamoah, Kuapa Kokoo co-op, Ghana

Greetings from Global Exchange! Thanks for your interest in promoting Fair Trade Certified chocolate and cocoa! The bitter truths of the cocoa industry make Fair Trade more important now than ever. Global cocoa prices have left farmers unable to meet their basic needs. Some can’t even afford to pay their workers so they have been using child slaves! The US chocolate industry has agreed to work to end child slavery by 2005. This is a positive step but their plan doesn’t guarantee fair prices, which is the only way to end slavery and abusive labor once and for all. Fair Trade offers a better solution because it provides a living wage and prohibits child slavery and abusive labor. To bring freedom and dignity to cocoa farmers around the world, we need to build an activist network to fill the gap in the US market. We need to get more chocolate companies and retailers to offer Fair Trade products. We also need to get more individuals and organizations (schools, faith groups, community organizations) to use Fair Trade chocolate and cocoa. Fair Trade cocoa and chocolate certification are new to the US, and annual production of Fair Trade Certified cocoa vastly exceeds worldwide demand, so there is lots of room for growth! This Action Pack represents a powerful tool for social change whose potential will be realized only through your energy and activism. It includes the basic information and materials needed to get your campaign started. For more detailed information, please refer to the resource lists in this Action Pack, visit our web site, or contact us. We’re here to help! We also encourage you get in touch with other Fair Trade activists by signing up for our moderated listserve and checking out our on-line Fair Trade activist database. Please copy and distribute this Action Pack among your friends, family, community, and organizations whose interests are related to Fair Trade issues. Be sure to let them know we also have materials for parents, teachers and kids! Thanks again for your commitment to helping small-scale farmers. Please check our web site regularly and keep in touch about your efforts so we can update our activist listings and help you along the way! We can’t wait to hear about your first victory! Sincerely, Melissa Schweisguth Fair Trade Coordinator

Deborah James Global Economy Director

What’s inside... BACKGROUND Fact sheet Fair Trade criteria Frequently asked questions ACTION TOOLBOX Steps to successful campaigning Switching fundraisers to Fair Trade Passing a purchasing resolution Organizing a teach-in Media guide Sample store petition M&M’S CAMPAIGN Flyer Petition Media coverage

PUBLIC EDUCATION MATERIALS (to be copied and redistributed) Chocolate Campaign Flyer Nothing Sweet: Life on Cocoa Farms Fair Trade and the Environment Bolivia: Coop Profile Dominican Republic: Coop Profile Ghana: Coop Profile Costa Rica: Coop Profile

RESOURCES Media Other Groups to Contact Where to Learn More About... Resources from Global Exchange

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Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Action Pack Facts about Fair Trade and the Cocoa Industry The International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) estimates that there approximately 14 million people are directly involved in cocoa production. 6.6 billion pounds of cocoa were produced in the 99/ 00 harvest season. 90% of the world’s cocoa is grown on small family farms of 12 acres or less. America is the world’s largest chocolate consumer. In 2000, the US imported 729,000 tons of cocoa beans and processed products, ate 3.3 billion pounds of chocolate, and spent $13 billion on it. According to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), cocoa revenues for farmers in West Africa average only $30-$108 per year per household member. West Africa has been the center of world cocoa cultivation for the last sixty years, today producing over 67% of the world’s crop. Ivory Coast is the giant in world production – with a 95% increase in output over the 1980s. It now holds 43% of the world market. Many West African and Latin American economies are critically dependent on cocoa revenues. For example, cocoa revenues account for more than 33% of Ghana’s total export earnings and 40% of the Ivory Coast’s total export earnings. In 2000, The US State Department acknowledged that some 15,000 children aged 9-12 have been sold into forced labor on cotton, coffee and cocoa plantations in the Ivory Coast in recent years. In 2001, the International Labor Organization reported that child trafficking is widespread in West Africa. In 1998, UNICEF stated that some Ivory Coast farmers use child slaves, many from poor neighboring countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin and Togo. In 2002, the IITA reported that about 12,500 children working on cocoa farms in the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon had no relatives in the area, suggesting that they were trafficked as slaves. The IITA also found that 284,000 children on West African cocoa farms work in hazardous tasks such as using machetes and applying pesticides without the necessary protection. According to the IITA, 60% of children working on cocoa farms in the Ivory Coast have never attended school.

In 2001, the US chocolate industry agreed to work towards ending child slavery and forced labor on cocoa farms. This is a positive move but the plan doesn’t address the low global market price, which is the root cause of child slavery, child labor, and worker exploitation. Until farmers are guaranteed a fair and stable price, child slavery and poverty will continue. There IS a better solution to abusive labor conditions on cocoa farms: FAIR TRADE. Fair Trade guarantees small farmer cooperatives a minimum price of $.80 per pound ($1,750 per metric ton) and access to credit, requires direct long-term buying relationships, supports sustainable growing methods, and prohibits abusive child labor and forced labor. For each metric ton of cocoa sold, Fair Trade farmers must reserve a $150 “social premium” for community development and technical training, ensuring continued progress and self sufficiency. When the world cocoa price rises above the minimum Fair Trade price of $.80/pound, Fair Trade farmers receive the world price plus the “social premium” of $150 per metric ton. Farmers outside of the Fair Trade system often sell their cocoa to exploitative middlemen who give them only about half of the world price. Fair Trade farmers sell their cocoa under direct contracts, meaning that they reap a higher share of the market price. Cocoa farmers who sell their cocoa at the world market price receive about 1 penny for an average $0.60 candy bar while farmers who sell through the Fair Trade system receive about 4 cents for the same candy bar. Due to all of these factors, Fair Trade allows farmers to meet their basic needs and send their children to school instead of needing them to work on their cocoa farms all day. Fair Trade cocoa is produced by cooperatives representing about 42,000 farmers from 8 countries: Belize, Bolivia, Cameroon, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ghana and Nicaragua. In 2000, Fair Trade cooperatives produced 89 million pounds of cocoa, but sold only 3 million pounds at Fair Trade prices. Chocolate and cocoa companies can obtain Fair Trade Certification through TransFairUSA, the agency that certifies coffee and tea as Fair Trade in the US.

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Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Action Pack

Fair Trade Criteria (excerpted from Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International. Fairtrade Standards for Cocoa. Bonn, Germany: FLO 2001.

Producers The FLO Producers Registry is open to associations of small farmers who are poor, run family farms that are not dependent on hired labor; have a solidarity-based philosophy and share FLO’s principles, including:

5. Quality and commercialization: Cocoa quality must comply with the minimum quality standards required by the different markets and the co-op must be able to export their cocoa effectively and reliably.

1. Membership and Cooperative Structure: The majority of members are small producers. FLO follows ILO Convention 111 on ending worker discrimination, which rejects “any distinction, exclusion or preference made on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, political opinion, national extraction or social origin, which has the effect of nullifying or impairing equality of opportunity or treatment in employment or occupation” (art. 1). The co-op must have a democratic structure and transparent administration.

6. Environmental protection: Producers are expected to make environmental protection a part of farm management and use a system of Integrated Crop Management (ICM). ICM minimizes the use of fertilizers and pesticides, and gradually replaces them with organic fertilizers and biological disease control. FLO encourages producers to work towards organic certification. These standards also encourage “shade cultivation” through the use of leguminous trees, cultivation of timber species on the farms, and windbreaks.

2. Community and cooperative development: Cooperatives must use the Fair Trade premium to establish and maintain a "social fund" to improve living conditions, crop and product diversification, and full participation of and employment advancement opportunities for members. 3. Child labor. FLO follows ILO Conventions 29, 105 and 138 on child labor and forced labor. Forced or bonded labor must not occur. Children may only work if their education is not jeopardized. If children work, they must not execute tasks, which are especially hazardous for them due to their age. 4. Labor and wage conditions. FLO follows ILO Plantation Convention 110, and ILO Convention 100 on equal remuneration. All employees must work under fair conditions and receive wages greater than or equal to the national minimum wage or the regional average. FLO follows ILO Conventions 87 and 98 on freedom of association and collective bargaining. Workers shall have the right to establish, join, and help run organizations of their own choosing.

Cocoa processors and importers 1. Cocoa processor and importer must purchase cocoa from a registered co-op. 2. Minimum price: The floor price for cocoa is $1,750 per metric tonne ($0.80/pound), $1,950 per metric tonne ($0.89/pound) if the cocoa is certified organic. When the market prices rises above the floor price the Fair Trade price rises to amount to $150 per metric tonne above the world price. This additional $150 comprises amount that cooperatives are required to place in their social fund for each metric ton sold. 2. Credit: The cocoa processor or importer is obliged to facilitate the producers’ access to credit-facilities at the beginning of the harvest season, up to a specified percentage of the value of the contracted cocoa at Fair Trade conditions, at regular international interest rates. The credit will be cancelled upon shipment of the cocoa. 3. Direct, long-term contracts: Cocoa processors, importers, and farmers depend on reliability and continuity. For that reason, relations between both should be based on direct, long-term contracts (1 to 10 years).

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Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Action Pack

Frequently Asked Questions Q. Why is Fair Trade a better solution to the problems of child slavery and child labor than the Industry Protocol? A: While the Protocol does propose a number of projects for educating farmers and improving their production and marketing skills, it does not address the low world cocoa prices that are the root cause of abusive child labor, forced labor, and dire poverty in cocoa farming communities. There is also no guarantee that the proposed projects will be successful in achieving their intended goals. Until farmers are guaranteed a fair price for their harvest, they will see no choice but to have their children, or possibly even child slaves, work on their cocoa farms instead of going to school and enjoying their childhood. Fair Trade Certification offers the most comprehensive solution because it guarantees farmers a living wage AND prohibits abusive child labor and forced labor. Q: Are the education and technical assistance programs (e.g., quality improvement) organized by the chocolate companies sufficient to solve this problem? A: No. While such projects sound promising, they are essentially limited charity efforts that leave farmers at the mercy of the volatile world market and dependent on the corporations that control it. Technical assistance programs benefit only those farmers who are directly involved, and do not automatically pass any resulting benefits onto the wider farming communities. In addition, they do not guarantee the stable income level that struggling farmers desperately need and deserve so much. Though farmers could potentially receive higher income by improving cocoa quality and taking control of more aspects of processing and marketing, there is no guarantee that prices will rise to sufficient levels and remain stable. In contrast, Fair Trade isn’t charity but a honest and ethical deal- for farmers, corporations, and consumers. It promotes true economic, social, AND environmental stability for farmers and their communities because it gives farmers a stable living wage, requires them to set aside

funds for community development projects, supports sustainable growing methods, and the like prohibits abusive child labor and forced labor. As for educational programs designed to educate farmers about child labor and child slavery, they will simply tell farmers information they already know, but without providing the financial resources they need to bring about a solution. Cocoa farmers are human beings, they are parents, and clearly they do not see child slavery as acceptable, nor do they see child labor as preferential to sending a child to school. Caught in the trap of poverty, cocoa farmers are forced to make hard decisions. Only with sufficient resources will they be able to support their families without needing the labor of their own children, other child workers, or child slaves. Q: Are organic chocolates and cocoa more likely to be produced without child slavery or child labor? Are farmers guaranteed a fair price for these products? What about other “eco-friendly” products like “shade grown?” A: No. Organic and other “eco-friendly” certifications deal solely with the environmental conditions of cacao production- such as banning the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Such labelling standards do not mandate any minimum price or minimum wage for workers, nor do they prohibit abusive child labor. Q. Is there enough Fair Trade cocoa available to meet demand? A: YES. There are literally millions of tons of Fair Trade cocoa available right now, but Fair Trade cooperatives are unfortunately selling much of their cocoa below Fair Trade prices because large corporations refuse to support this responsible purchasing option. Fair Trade cooperatives produced 89 million pounds of cocoa in 2000 but sold only 3 million pounds at Fair Trade terms. Companies that prefer West African cacao would not have to change their sourcing very much because Ghana and Cameroon are home to two of these cooperatives, and a cooperative

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Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Action Pack

Frequently Asked Questions from the Ivory Coast will soon join the Fair Trade system.

system, to organize themselves and join the Fair Trade system

Q. How does the certification process work?

Q: How much does Fair Trade Certification cost for farmers?

For producers. FLO monitors countries and regions of origin, and makes annual visits to ensure producer compliance with the Fair Trade criteria. The majority of cooperatives fulfill or surpass the requirements of FLO’s criteria wholeheartedly. If producer cooperatives are found non-compliant, they can be put on probation for a period to allow for improvement, and in rare cases, dismissed from the list for serious violations. For companies, TransFairUSA handles the US side of the cocoa trail by monitoring licensee paperwork, including sales receipts and tracking numbers. Cocoa processors, importers, and others who use cocoa and chocolate in their products must sign a licensing agreement with TransFair USA in order to use the Fair Trade Certified label on their products. Such companies also pay a licensing fee to TransFair to ensure that the Fair Trade system is sustainable and that all certification costs are borne in the North rather than by the farmers. Q: Do cocoa farmers have the resources and infrastructure to join the Fair Trade system? A: Yes! In fact, over 42,000 cocoa farmers from 8 West African and Latin American countries are already organized into Fair Trade cooperatives. Organizing into a cooperative simply requires the will to work together, and makes it easier for farmers to develop important infrastructures (communications, transportation, collection/ export facilities) because they can pool their resources. The best thing that chocolate and cocoa companies can do to ensure long-term improvements for cocoa farmers is to a) start buying a portion of their cocoa from Fair Trade cooperatives now, b) pay a fair trade price to all farmers and cooperatives outside of the Fair Trade system c) help farmers who are not in cooperatives, or who are in cooperatives outside of the Fair Trade

A: Absolutely nothing! Fair Trade certification is free for farmers. All of the costs are borne consuming countries, as each company pays a licensing fee to their country’s certification agency (e.g., TransFair USA in the US). Q. How is the Fair Trade floor price determined? How does this differ from a subsidy? A. The floor price was negotiated in 1988 between European Fair Trade leaders between European Fair Trade leaders, farmer representatives and the industry after considerable field research into production and living costs in cocoa producing countries. This is not a subsidy because it simply covers basic production costs and living expenses. In addition, farmers are paid only for the crop they actually sell, again a clear difference from a subsidy. The Fair Trade price is essentially a minimum wage, something that countries like the United States have mandated in law for years. Why allow lower labor standards for foreign made products? Q. Why is credit important? A. Without access to credit during the “lean months” between harvests, small farmers often are forced to sell the future rights to their harvests to local middlemen at extremely low prices in exchange for some cash up front. At harvest time, the farmers are not allowed to pay off the middlemen with cash — they must hand over the cocoa. So without access to credit, many farmers would not be able to take advantage of the opportunity to sell at Fair Trade prices. Q: How can I find out what companies use Fair Trade chocolate and where to buy it? A: You can find company listings on the Global Exchange web site (www.globalexchange.org/ cocoa) and the TransFair USA web site (www.fairtradecertified.org).

6 2017 Mission Street, #303 • San Francisco, CA 94110 • tel 415.255.7296 • fax 415.255.7498 [email protected] • www.globalexchange.org/cocoa

Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Action Pack Steps to Organizing a Successful Campaign Fair Trade provides a sustainable alternative to corporate free trade policies. Fair Trade practices are equitable, environmentally sustainable, and independently monitored — all of which are essential components of a democratic global economy. Bringing Fair Trade chocolate to our institutions of learning, workplaces, local businesses, and community organizations is an important step towards replacing environmentally and socially exploitative product sourcing with positive alternatives and decorporatizing our communities. It is a visible and achievable goal that can be incorporated into current campaigns, used to recruit new activists, and network labor, religious, environmental, social justice, and other organizations. If you are on or near a college campus, be sure to reach out to students, staff, and faculty who are interested related issues (African, and Latin American Studies, International Relations, Labor, Women’s Studies, Environmental Studies, etc.). 1) MAP OUT A STRATEGY a. Define your goal: The possibilities are endless! You can campaign to get Fair Trade chocolate and cocoa sold at your local/campus businesses, get your organization or workplace to pass a resolution that only Fair Trade chocolate and cocoa will be used for meetings and organizational gifts, lobby your school or organization to switch their chocolate fundraiser* to Fair Trade, and more. Decide on a common goal and get planning! (* We have a complete fundraising guide- ask us if you are interested!*) b. Define your demands: do you want to get your school, organization, or local business to offer ONE line of Fair Trade as an option, or do you want a comprehensive purchasing restriction, such that ALL chocolate and cocoa served must be Fair Trade? This will depend on the political climate of your school, organization, or community and the strength of your mobilization. Set your demands above what realistically can be expected so you have room to negotiate. Once you get your buyer to bring in one offering, it’s a lot harder to build up momentum later to pass a comprehensive purchasing resolution c. Define your task: If your chocolate and cocoa suppliers already offer Fair Trade, all you have to do is get them to offer it to your campus, organization, workplace, or local retailer. If your suppliers are NOT offering Fair Trade, you want to pressure them to start offering Fair Trade chocolate and cocoa. If they won’t, then you would want your school, organization, workplace, or local retailer to switch companies to one that does. The first option will be much easier and more attractive to the manager while the second and third will require some work. 2) MOBILIZE A COALITION To make sure your message is strong and convincing, pull together a large and diverse coalition. Local labor unions and anti-sweatshop groups would be interested in the fact that the Fair Trade farmers receive a living

wage and can unionize. Parents, teachers, and children will want to do something about child slavery and lack of access to education. Africa and Latin American groups might like to be involved since cocoa co-ops are located in these regions. Church social justice committees and human rights groups will be concerned about poverty, child slavery, and forced labor. Public health groups will resound with health care access and farming methods that maintain healthful environments, and environmental groups will want to promote sustainable production. Use the Public Education flyers in this packet to show these groups how Fair Trade is related to their causes. 3) INVESTIGATE WHERE THE CHOCOLATE AND COCOA IN YOUR “TARGET COMMUNITY ”COMES FROM Find out what company supplies the chocolate and cocoa and who makes the purchasing decisions. For example, a Food Service Director often makes contracts with large companies for dining halls and cafeterias, regional or national managers choose the brands at large supermarkets, while independent grocery stores are run by their own managers and have more leeway in making purchasing decisions. 4) EDUCATE YOUR COMMUNITY AND BUILD SUPPORT AT EVENTS & SAMPLINGS • TABLING: Set up a table and give out free Fair Trade chocolate, hot cocoa, and baked goods with Fair Trade chocolate and cocoa as ingredients. We have great tasting props— use them! Ask other groups if you can table and give out samples at their events — they get chocolate and cocoa and you get a ready-made crowd! Companies will often donate samples. Check our web site for current company listings and contact a few with information about your event and your campaign. • SPEAKING EVENTS: Ask professors and teachers to let you talk about Fair Trade in relevant classes and offer to speak at the meetings of your organization as well as others who might be interested. Invite a Global Exchange staff member or a cocoa farmer to speak at an event in your community — contact us for more in-

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Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Action Pack Sample Letter to Store Managers

Organizing a Campaign continued formation. • VIDEO SCREENING & DISCUSSION. See the book & film list at the end of this packet for resources. Be sure to have chocolate, cocoa, Public Education materials, Action Tools, and a sign-up sheet at your event. • MEDIA: Get your local paper to cover Fair Trade. Write an article yourself or pitch it to the paper! See the media guide in this packet to get started. • LETTERS & PETITIONS: Organize letter writing and petition drives at your local organizations, school, workplace, and businesses. Use Action Tools in this packet as templates.

5) MEET WITH THE MANAGEMENT Bring in a letter that addresses your concerns and demands, background materials about Fair Trade, a list of companies that offer Fair Trade, news clippings about Fair Trade, hundreds of signed petitions, and stories about the impact of Fair Trade on farmers. All of these are included in this packet or can be found on our web site. Sound passionate and excited but reasonable and educated. Take their considerations seriously. They will want to know about cost, how the monitoring works, and will want to be sure it won’t add a lot of new paperwork for them. Emphasize how important it is for environmental and social justice reasons so they’ll be more likely take it seriously. If they won’t budge, bring in more creative and stronger tactics. Let them know that you’ll help them promote Fair Trade when they make the switch. 6) ORGANIZE CREATIVE ACTIONS Organize creative actions with your coalition and use the media to let your local officials know that you are serious about getting Fair Trade in your community. Set up a web site and use mass media to put a public face on your campaign, and let your officials know you hold them accountable. Use your allies — who in the student government, administrative offices, or board of directors might support you? Can you do a ballot initiative or a binding legislative bill rather than a nonbinding resolution? Use peer pressure — they can’t say it’s impossible if it is already available from several companies and a number of local businesses. Our web site has lists of companies and retailers that currently offer Fair Trade chocolate. You can also get this information from TransFairUSA: www.transfairusa.org, 510-663-5260. Remember to call us if you need assistance or ideas — we’re here to support your campaign!!

Dear Manager, I am a customer of yours who is concerned about the impacts of my consumer choices. I am writing to ask that you carry Fair Trade Certified chocolate and cocoa, with the “Fair Trade Certified” label. It is my intention to purchase these products over other kinds. You see, I really love chocolate and cocoa but have learned that many cocoa farmers across Latin America and Africa receive poverty wages. Some cocoa plantations in the Ivory Coast even use child slave labor! Industrial cocoa production has also led to environmental degradation through deforestation and heavy use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Fair Trade works to correct these problems by guaranteeing a minimum price per pound, prohibiting abusive labor, and encouraging sustainable farming. With the profits generated from a fair wage, cocoa growers are able to provide for their families, send their children to school, and pay their workers fairly. For these reasons, I and many other like-minded consumers are now choosing Fair Trade Certified chocolate and cocoa. There is currently a consumer demand campaign in our town asking retailers like you to make sure we can buy Fair Trade chocolate and cocoa where we shop. Thus, offering Fair Trade would benefit your business as well as cocoa farmers. The Fair Trade monitoring organization TransFairUSA is now certifying chocolate and cocoa in the US and can help you to get it. For information contact TransFairUSA, 1611 Telegraph Avenue, Suite 900, Oakland, CA 94612, 510-663-5260, or www.transfairusa.org. I also encourage you to contact the companies you buy chocolate and cocoa from, and let them know that your customers are demanding Fair Trade and that you would like them to respond to our requests by offering it to your store. Please stock Fair Trade Certified chocolate so we can buy it from you and enjoy delicious chocolate and cocoa that guarantee fairness for cocoa farmers. Sincerely,

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Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Action Pack Switching School/Organization Fundraisers to Fair Trade Fundraising is a huge business for America’s chocolate companies and it is one of the primary ways that children come to learn about chocolate companies and chocolate production. To bring freedom and dignity to cocoa farmers around the world, and ensure that our children are learning values that will prepare them to be good global citizens, we need to convert our chocolate fundraisers to Fair Trade sources! The following steps will guide you through the process. For complete company information (products and prices) please download our complete Fair Trade Chocolate Fundraising Guide from our web site or contact us. Now, let’s get started...!

offer Fair Trade, then you will have to lobby your school or organization to switch to one that does.

1. Do your homework

General Guidelines Be sure your materials are well-formatted, easy to read, and include your contact information. Have a few friends, family members, or other teachers who aren’t working on the issue look over the materials to make sure people without your background knowledge can understand them and find them convincing.

a. Research the issues: Make sure you have the basic facts down well enough that you can speak about them clearly and with conviction. Our fact sheet and flyers are good places to start. Be sure to look at our website for further information, especially the media and resources sections. b. Find out what company supplies the chocolate and/or cocoa use for your fundraiser. This will help you formulate your demands to your school board or organization’s directors. c. Find out who makes the decisions about what fundraising company to use and who communicates with the company. This will likely involve several people, such as school or organization board members, office staff, student government members, school staff, and members of a parentteacher association. 2. Outline your strategy Using what you’ve learned from your research, chart a plan of action. Be sure to leave room in your strategy for unexpected turns in your campaign and suggestions from coalition members. a. If your supplier already offers Fair Trade (updated listings at www.globalexchange.org/ cocoa and www.transfairusa.org), all you have to do is get them to offer it to your school or organization. If your suppliers do NOT carry Fair Trade, you want your school or organization to ask them to start offering Fair Trade chocolate and cocoa for your fundraisers. If the company refuses to

b. The most important factor in working with the key decision makers is to get someone to help you approach them. Figure out who you know, such as another friend, teacher, parent, or staff person that knows the key decision makers and seek their support for the campaign. Figure out who in your community or school might be able to influence the decision makers and how you can get their support. 3. Develop materials to use for public education and to give to key decision makers

Materials should cover these three main areas a. The PROBLEM: Child slavery, child labor, and poverty on cocoa farms b. The SOLUTION: What Fair Trade is and why it will help. c. The ACTION: Convert your fundraiser to Fair Trade chocolate! Gearing your materials to the audience a. For public education: develop a single flyer that covers these issues with basic facts supporting each main idea. See the “Fair Trade Chocolate Campaign” flyer in this packet for ideas. b. For key decision makers: you’ll need more iinformation but be careful not to be overwhelming. Put the materials in a packet with a letter (see sample) that covers the problem, solution, and action). Essential materials to include: The problem • A basic flyer such as “Nothing Sweet” • A media piece on the conditions on cocoa farms (See this packet and our web site news updates)

9 2017 Mission Street, #303 • San Francisco, CA 94110 • tel 415.255.7296 • fax 415.255.7498 [email protected] • www.globalexchange.org/cocoa

Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Action Pack Converting Fundraisers The solution • Background materials about Fair Trade and its impact on farmers (Use our fact sheet and co-op profiles as models) The Action • A list of companies that offer Fair Trade • A list of schools and organizations that are already using Fair Trade for fundraisers. They can’t say your plan is impossible if others are doing it already! (Contact us for this information.) • Lots of signed petitions (sample in this packet) 4. Mobilize a coalition and keep it growing To make sure your message is strong and convincing, pull together a large and diverse Fair Trade coalition including other student and community groups who work on related issues. Local labor unions and anti-sweatshop groups would be interested in the fact that the Fair Trade farmers receive a living wage and can unionize. Parents, teachers, and children will want to do something about child slavery and lack of access to basic education. Africa and Latin American groups might like to be involved since cocoa cooperatives are located in these regions. Church social justice committees and human rights organizations will be concerned about poverty, child slavery, and forced labor. Public health groups will resound with health care access and farming methods that maintain healthy environments. Environmental groups will want to promote sustainable production. Use the Public Education flyers in this packet to reach out to these groups and show them how Fair Trade is related to their causes. When you get a new individual or group on board, ask them for ideas about what other groups you can recruit and get them involved in the recruiting process to keep your movement growing! Don’t forget to work with staff from your school or organization. Staff know the ins and outs of the system and work directly with the board members who will make the decisions so it’s crucial that you get their support. Explain to them why the campaign is important. If you gain their support, you are much closer to winning the campaign. 5. Build public education and support

(continued)

Without real public support, passing your resolution will be difficult. In addition, your conversion campaign can be a great public education tool. a. Ongoing Public Education and Action Organize letter writing and petition drives using the materials in this packet as templates. Hand out flyers and collect petition signatures at the entrance of your school at the beginning and end of the day and at major school events. Set up a table and give out your campaign materials along with free Fair Trade chocolate and/or cocoa before/after school, at lunchtime, during group meetings, etc. Ask other groups if you can hand out materials, collect signatures, and serve chocolate/cocoa at their events — they get chocolate and cocoa and you get a ready-made crowd! Companies will often donate samples so check our website for company listings and contact a few about your campaign. b. Assemblies, Teach-ins, and Public Speaking Organize a school assembly or teach-in featuring students, faculty, staff, and an outside group with expertise on the issue. To make the issues real and maintain the audience’s attention, include some video clips and photos, and develop a short skit or two. Be sure to leave some time for questions and answers at the end. Don’t forget to mention your campaign to set up a Fair Trade fundraiser at the beginning and end of the assembly, and a few more times through the event! See the teach-in guide and the resource lists in this packet to get started. Be sure to have chocolate, cocoa, Public Education materials, petitions and other Action Tools for your campaign, and a sign-up sheet available after the event. In addition to organizing an assembly and public teach-ins, ask teachers to let you talk about Fair Trade in their classes and offer to speak at the meetings of local organizations. d. Media Get the media interested and show them that the community is supportive. Ask supportive parents teachers, and children to write op-eds and letters to the editor throughout the campaign. Once your resolution is introduced and scheduled for a vote, contact the media in your community and at

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Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Action Pack Converting Fundraisers your school and ask them to do a story about the campaign. Your campaign will give local media a way to cover larger issues through a community angle. Write letters to the editor and op-eds in support of your campaign. Keep the local press informed at every stage of the process (introduction, debate, and vote) by sending media advisories to local newspapers, radio, and TV. The greater the debate, the better the coverage! e. Creative Actions Organize creative actions with your coalition and use the media to let your board members know that you are serious about getting Fair Trade Certified chocolate/cocoa for your fundraiser. Get classrooms to send cards to key decision makers. Organize a parade to the principal’s office! Set up a website and use mass media to put a public face on your campaign, and let your officials know you hold them accountable. 6. Keep building public support As the date of the vote approaches, make sure you are working with individuals from your school and community and asking them to voice their support of the proposal. All these people should be contacting their board members. There are some ways to coordinate this. Organize a community-wide “call-in” day during which people from every neighborhood will call their board members in support of the campaign. If a particular board member is opposed to the proposal, do targeted outreach for them. It may be helpful to draft sample letters, postcards, and phone call “talking points,” but please remind people that they will have the most effect when the call and write as individuals, using their own words. 7. Lobbying key decision makers a. Initial Outreach Provide information to each board member and offer your continued assistance to them throughout your campaign. Send or personally deliver the materials you’ve developed to each board member and urge their support. Be sure to follow-up with additional calls and an offer to provide more information and answer questions as needed. Identify sympathetic board members to introduce and promote your proposal. Once

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you have enlisted the support of one or two board members, they can familiarize you with the procedure and strategies for gaining approval. b. Initial meeting Schedule an initial meeting with the board members. Bring in the materials you’ve prepared along with the cover letter that outlines your concerns and your proposal. Sound passionate and excited but reasonable and educated. Take their considerations seriously. They will want to how Fair Trade works, why it is important, and if the fundraiser will remain successful. Emphasize how critical it is for environmental and social justice reasons so they’ll be more likely take it seriously. Let them know that you’ll help them promote Fair Trade when they make the switch. c. Public board meeting You will probably have to make a presentation at least one public meeting for your school board or organization’s board of directors. Develop a short, clear, and convincing presentation including 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, and video as appropriate. Be sure to give examples of companies you could switch to and name schools/ organizations that have already switched to Fair Trade Fundraisers successfully. Be sure to attend all board meetings when your issue is scheduled. From the moment of introduction to the time for vote, make sure your coalition turns out supporters who can speak on behalf of your campaign. In some cases, committees or subcommittees will consider the resolution before the full board does. Make sure you attend these meetings and present your case during the public comments section of any hearings. Pack the house. On the day your proposal is going to be voted on, make sure the board meeting is filled with supporters of your campaign- especially parents and children! Bring colorful and eye-catching signs to show support. Encourage supporters to speak in favor of the campaign during the public comments section, and make sure you have a few people ready with

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Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Action Pack Converting Fundraisers prepared remarks. The day of the vote is your final chance to show that the community really cares about your issue. 8. CELEBRATE your victory! When your school or organization agrees to convert your fundraiser to Fair Trade, organize a press conference with the board members. Have a ceremony when the first bar of Fair Trade Certified chocolate and/or cup of Fair Trade Certified hot cocoa is delivered for your fundraiser — it’s a newsworthy event! 9. Follow Up Make sure that the fundraiser switch goes as planned. Keep in touch with the board and appropriate staff to ensure that things are progressing in a timely manner and determine how else you can help keep things moving. If the switch to Fair Trade gets staled or shelved, make sure all of your supporters, the board members, and the media hear about it.

SAMPLE LETTER TO BOARD MEMBERS Dear Board Member, We, a coalition of concerned students, staff, teachers, parents and community members, are writing to ask that our school begin to use Fair Trade Certified chocolate for our chocolate bar fundraiser. We feel that our fundraiser is an important part of our budget but want to ensure that our profits don’t come at the expense of cocoa farming families. To help you understand our proposal, we are enclosing information on the conditions on cocoa farms and why Fair Trade is so critical, along with product and pricing details. As you may know, many cocoa farmers receive poverty wages and must have their children work long hours on their farms instead of going to school. Some cocoa farmers in the Ivory Coast even use child slaves! Industrial cocoa production has also led to environmental degradation through deforestation and heavy use agricultural chemicals. The US chocolate industry has agreed to work to end child slavery by 200 but

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their plan doesn’t guarantee fair prices, which is the only way to ensure that slavery and forced labor end once and for all. There is a better solution available through Fair Trade, which provides a living wage, prohibits abusive child labor and forced labor, and encourages sustainable farming. Fair Trade cocoa farmers can afford to send their children to school and pay their workers instead of using child slaves. For these reasons, we would like our school to use Fair Trade Certified chocolate for our fundraiser. We believe our community will support this because many community members, teachers and parents have been raising the issue and demand for Fair Trade is growing. Thus, offering Fair Trade chocolate would allow us to maintain our fundraising success is a way that helps cocoa farmers and their families much more than our current fundraiser program does. Fundraising is a huge business for America’s chocolate companies and it is one of the primary ways that our children learn about chocolate production. Though chocolate fundraisers have benefited our school, they haven’t done much to help the children of cocoa farmers. To bring freedom and dignity to cocoa farmers, and ensure that our children are learning values that will prepare them to be good global citizens, we must use Fair Trade for our chocolate fundraisers. We would like to request an initial meeting to discuss this issue with the board members. We will call to follow up and set a meeting with you and the other board members in a few days. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. Sincerely, CONTACT NAME, PHONE, E-MAIL

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Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Action Pack How To Pass a Fair Trade Purchasing Resolution City and county governments, organizations, and universities/colleges have the power the to pass a Purchasing Resolution committing them to purchase only Fair Trade Certified chocolate cocoa. Global Exchange and TransFair USA can support you through this process with the necessary materials and strategy suggestions. The key benefits of introducing (and hopefully passing) a purchasing resolution are to: • get local elected officials involved on fair trade issues • increase the volume of Fair Trade Certified chocolate marketed in your area • build coalitions with others working on similar issues • generate local press about the importance of Fair Trade Certified chocolate and cocoa • educate the wider community and spark a discussion about Fair Trade chocolate and cocoa • build prestige for Fair Trade Certified chocolate and cocoa that can assist your overall campaign Though each city/county council has their own procedures, the following wil, guide you through the process 1. Form a local coalition. The merit of your resolution will inevitably be judged by the strength and breadth of your coalition. Before contacting your council, identify key activists and leaders from local labor unions, environmental groups, churches, human rights organizations, women’s groups etc., and ask them to endorse the resolution. 2. Offer support to and lobby Council Member(s). Using a concise cover letter and materials that identify the wide environmental, social justice and labor issues, personally contact each council member and urge their support. Share sample purchasing resolutions from other councils and provide necessary support in drafting the final language. Hand deliver packets your information packets, mail to their addresses, and follow-up with additional calls. Identify sympathetic council members to introduce and promote the resolution. Once you have the support of one or two members, they can familiarize you with procedures and appropriate strategies for passing the resolution. 3. Work with City or County Staff. Get to know the city staffers and get them on your side. In many city halls, especially in small towns, staff wield as much power as elected representatives because staff are permanent and work full time, while elected officials come and go and often work part time. Ask for meetings with staff who may be affected by the resolution, such as the city’s manager, attorney, pension fund manager, and the purchaser. Explain why the resolution is important. With their support, you’ll be much closer to winning the campaign. 4. Educate the Public. Without real public support, passing your resolution will be difficult. The resolution is also a vehicle for educating the public. You can also do this through the media (see below) and by organizing an educational event such as a film screening, teach-in, speaking event, or other educational forum to talk to your community about the issues and why the resolu-

tion is important. Global Exchange can suggest speakers and videos that will boost your campaign. (For more information on events, see the Teach-In guide in in this packet) 5. Get the media interested. Once your resolution is introduced and scheduled for a vote, contact the media and ask them to do a story about the campaign. Resolutions give local media a way to cover larger issues through a community angle. Write letters to the editor and op-eds in support of the resolution. Keep the local press informed at every stage (introduction, debate, and vote) by sending advisories to local newsprint and radio. The greater the debate, the better the coverage! (For more information, see the Media Guide in this packet.) 6. Lobby Other Elected Representatives. You should make sure all of the representatives on the city council have a packet of information about your resolution. Try to get constituents from different districts to arrange meetings with their representatives to show support for the resolution. Forward all clips to state and federal Resentatives and Senators! This will show them that people in your community are concerned about the broad impacts Fair Trade chocolate and cocoa. 7. Cover all the bases. Attend all council meetings when your issue is scheduled. From the moment of introduction to the vote, make sure you turn out supporters to speak on behalf of the resolution. In some cases, especially with binding resolutions, committees or subcommittees will consider the resolution before the full council does. Make sure you attend these meetings and present the argument for your resolution during the public comments sections. 8. Expand the base of support. As the date of the vote approaches, make sure you are working with residents across the city and asking them to call or write their representatives in support of the resolution. Constitu-

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Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Action Pack How To Pass a Resolution ents should also contact their representatives on the city council. There are some ways to coordinate this. Organize a city-wide “call-in”day during which people from every neighborhood will call their representatives in support of the resolution. If a particular representative is opposed to the resolution, do targeted outreach in their neighborhood. 9. Pack the house. On the day the resolution is voted on, make sure the city council chambers are filled with supporters. Bring colorful and eye-catching signs to show support for the resolution. Encourage supporters to speak in favor of the resolution during the public comments section. Make sure you have a few people ready with prepared remarks. The day of the vote is your final chance to show that the community really cares about the issue!

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10. Organize a press conference or event. When your council successfully passes the resolution, organize a press conference with council members. Have a ceremony when the first bar of Fair Trade Certified chocolate and/or cup of Fair Trade Certified hot cocoa is served in City Hall It’s a newsworthy event! 11. Follow Up. Make sure that what the resolution calls for actually happens. This is crucial when it comes to binding resolutions. Keep in touch with your champion and city staff to ensure the resolution is being implemented. If it isn’t, make sure all of your supporters, your champion, and the media hear about it.

Sample Fair Trade Purchasing Resolution Whereas, in the context of the global economy, our consumer choices unknowingly affect communities and the environment in all corners of the earth; and Whereas, many people are looking for more socially and environmentally responsible ways to conduct their lives, which do not degrade people, animals or the environment; and Whereas, child slavery has been uncovered on Ivory Coast cocoa farms and child labor is highly prevalent across cocoa farms in West Africa; and

farmers, and providing technical assistance such as help transitioning to organic farming; and Whereas, Fair Trade encourages the cultivation of cocoa under a shade canopy which preserves trees and birds, as well as cocoa grown under organic conditions; and Whereas, with the profits generated from receiving a fair wage, farmers can invest in community development, health care, education, and environmental stewardship.

Whereas many small cocoa farmers receive market payments for their harvest that fall short of their production and labor costs, forcing them into a cycle of poverty and debt, and often forcing them to rely on child labor or child slaves; and

Whereas, as a purchaser of goods and services, has a responsibility to ensure that its monies are spent in a manner consistent with decent ethical principles, including assuring that workers are paid a living wage, and purchasing goods made in the most fair manner when possible;

Whereas, is aware of the dire situation of poverty in Africa, Latin America, Asia and other areas of the world; and

Whereas, has a responsibility to set a high standard of ethics with regards to economic activities in the local and global community; therefore be it

Whereas, intensive cocoa farming also leads to environmental problems, such as the contamination of air and water supplies through pesticide poisoning, deforestation and the extinction of some bird species through habitat destruction; and

Resolved, that restricts the purchasing of chocolate and cocoa by all entities to brands that are Fair Trade Certified and organic; and be it further

Whereas, the Fair Trade Certified system works to correct these imbalances by guaranteeing stringent international criteria; paying a minimum price per pound of $0.80, providing much needed credit at fair terms to

Resolved that undertakes to educate our wider community about the importance of Fair Trade Certified chocolate and cocoa by a formal Recommendation to all localities under its jurisdiction to undertake similar purchasing restrictions.

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Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Action Pack How to Organize a Teach-in/ Educational Event Teach-ins and educational events are powerful ways to educate and activate members of your community. By offering qualified speakers of intellectual and/or experiential expertise, teach-ins and educational events provide a way to explore crucial local and global issues. These events are most effective when they supply real solutions and give opportunities to build powerful citizen coalitions. The best teach-ins and educational events are those that at once give a boost to your existing organizing efforts while also attracting new people to your campaign. These events can also be effective ways to raise funds for your group. Preliminary steps: What to do before you start to organize a teach-in or educational event (These steps can occur simultaneously and in any order). Select a speaker(s)/speaking topic your group is interested in. Finding a topic should be relatively easy considering the focus of your group. Pairing a speaker with a topic may be a little more difficult. Some important factors to consider when choosing a speaker are reputation, availability and cost. Images and videos can be very powerful additions to your event so you may consider showing slides, a short film or an excerpt from a longer-length film to accompany the talk. You might also use a longer-length film as the basis for the teach-in and follow that with a discussion moderated by an outside speaker or someone from your group. Think about your audience and outreach. What are you trying to accomplish by bringing the speaker? Who do you want to attend the event? How will you conduct outreach? Do you plan on doing media outreach? What about meetings with local elected representatives? Make the most of the opportunity. Flyers, events, calendars, direct mail, email, phone calls, public service announcements, press releases and word-of mouth are all good ways to get people to the event. When considering all of these questions it is important to plan ahead. Think about possible cosponsors. Brainstorm and ask other members of your group for suggestions of other groups (student, community, religious, etc.) that may be willing to cosponsor the event with you. Keep in mind that cosponsors are a

key component to generating an audience and sharing the work load and cost of organizing an event. Plan the event: The when, where, who and how Select a date The date obviously is dependent on other factors, such as the availability of the speakers, availability of a venue, and whatever else is being planned in your community around the same time. Try not to have your event coincide with other similarly themed teach-ins or educational events. Also, it is a good idea to organize an event around a date that has some significance in relation to the theme. For example, a labor-related event has more resonance around Labor Day. Or, if part of the overall goal of the event is to affect legislation, have the event before a legislative vote is to take place—whether it is a city, state or national vote—so people can talk to their elected representatives. Find a venue The ideal venue is a free venue, and one that is fully wheelchair accessible. Try to get a space donated to you. Faith-based groups, community centers, schools and universities are likely to do so. Also, consider the size of the space. The appropriate size of the space chosen is related to how many people are expected to attend. Remember to arrange for any audiovisual needs such a microphone, overhead projector, white board, or slide projector. Confirm your cosponsors There is no such thing as too much group participation or too much outreach. The point is to get as many people to the event as possible. A larger audience will be generated with outside help. Contact the organizations you think would be interested in being part of the event. Explain to them that you are bringing a speaker for an event and that you would like for them to be a cosponsor. When they say “yes,” suggest that they help with outreach by inviting their members. Among other things, they may be able to help publicize the event by putting it on their web site, or adding their name to a press release. Also, don’t be afraid to ask them for financial support. It costs money to host, transport and feed speakers. Explain this to them. This is not too much to ask if the organization’s name is associated

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Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Action Pack How to Organize a Teach-in/ Educational Event to the event as a cosponsor. Offer in return to include their name on any publicity materials that will be produced. Develop outreach materials and conduct outreach Key to a successful outreach strategy is the production of materials like event fliers, direct mail invitations, e-mail invitations, public service announcements and press materials. Distribute the fliers as much as possible among friends and colleagues to be disseminated publicly at coffee shops, community centers, cultural centers, other events, churches, schools, universities, etc. Also use the press as a tool to get the word out. Write a press release and send it to campus and local media to get the press to cover the event. Send a flier as well to make sure the event gets announced on by radio stations and included in the community calendar or events section of local newspapers and magazines. The sooner you have materials ready, the better, especially in regards to media. Prepare to host Decide who will pick up the speakers from the airport, bus station or train station. Decide where the host will stay and do your best to make the chosen place as comfortable as possible for the guests. Home stays are fine, but try and make sure that the speakers have their own rooms, if possible. If you have arranged for a hotel, make sure everything is in order.

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Finally, make sure to have an information and action table at the event, including the Public Education materials and Action Tools in this packet. And don’t forget the all-important donation basket! Use the event to build your donor base so you continue your important work. Take advantage of the speakers’ presence in your community The media can be used as an effective tool to spread your message more widely. A well-planned event may attract hundreds of people, but an article in a newspaper or an interview on the radio can reach thousands of people. Organize visits and/or interviews with the speakers and local journalists. Also, if your work includes a legislative strategy, set up meetings with local congresspersons. (More information about how to work with the media and elected officials is enclosed.)

Evaluation and follow up After the event has ended successfully, consider all that went well and all that didn’t. Learn from the mistakes and remember what worked. Thank your cosponsors, the audience, your members and anybody that helped to make the event a success. Use the event to build new relationships and strengthen old ones. Organize!

How to use the media to broadcast your message (Adapted from Salzman’s “Making the News” and SPIN Project Materials)

Like it or not, the mainstream media has a massive influence on politics in the United States. There is no question that we need to democratize our media, but as we do that we must also work with the mainstream media to broadcast the messages and values that are important to us as progressive activists. A fantastically well organized rally attended by 100 committed citizens is a beautiful thing. But if the media covers the rally, you will reach ten times that number with your message. If you want to talk to people outside the choir and bring new people into the struggle for social justice and human rights, media coverage is a must. Telling a story or communicating a point of view to reporters and editors from mainstream publications is a special art. You have to be clear and brief and at the same time deeply thoughtful. You have to know certain tricks of the trade that will help your issue stand out from the hundreds of other interesting things happening in the world. This guide will help you get your important issues into the media’s eye through basic primers on press releases, pitching a story, writing a letter to the editor, and other important tips. If you would like more guidance on working with the media, GX’s communications team is more than happy to help you! You can contact Jason Mark, [email protected] and 415-255-7296 x 230; or Tim Kingston, [email protected] and 415-255-7296 x 229. Best of luck!

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Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Action Pack Pitching Your Story • Telephone calls are the most effective way to communicate with reporters. Pitch calls are essential to an effective media strategy. Reporters are on paper overload - chances are they never saw your faxed release or advisory. • Target your reporters. Contact reporters who cover your issue, and reporters you have a relationship with. If you have to make a “cold call,” ask the general assignment editor or producer who you should speak to. • Find a “hook” for your story. Show the reporter how your story is significant, dramatic, controversial, timely, or impacts lots of readers. • Always pitch the story first, and then ask if they received your release or advisory. Immediately capture the interest of the reporter - they won’t wait for you to get to the point. • Keep the pitch short and punchy. Reporters don’t have time for long pitch calls, so get to the most interesting and important information in the first 90 seconds. Don’t forget the Who, What, Where, When, and Why.

• Be enthusiastic and helpful. If you’re not excited about your story, why should the reporter be? • Never lie to a reporter. They may not like what you have to say, but they must respect you. • Be considerate of deadlines. Pitch calls are best made in the mid morning (9:30 to noon). If you sense a reporter is rushed or impatient, ask them if they are on deadline and offer to call back. • Only pitch one reporter per outlet.If you do talk to more than oneperson (which sometimes is necessary), make sure the other reporter knows that you’ve talked with someone else. • Close the deal. Ask the reporter if they are interested or if they are coming to the event. Most will not commit over the phone but they will think about it. • Offer to send information if they don’t commit to attend your event or cannot attend. (Remember to send the information right away.) • Don’t get frustrated. Pitch calls can be frustrating when reporters don’t bite. But remember that every phone call keeps your issue and organization on their radar screen, and is an important step in building an on-going professional relationship with reporters.

Media Advisory A Media Advisory alerts media to an upcoming event.. It gives basic information: the who, what, where, when and why. It is sent a few days before the event. Elements Structure / Form • Headline. This will make or break the advisor. Include the most important information and make it punchy. The • In the top left corner, type “Media Advisory.” headline can be up to four lines if necessary, including a • Under “Media Advisory,” type the date. sub-head, but keep it short (and remember to use a • Type “###” at the end of your advisory. This is how large font – it’s eye-catching!). journalists mark the end of copy. • Short description of the event and the issue. Make it • Type “MORE” at the end of page 1 if your advisory is visual (“Citizens will carry large placards and life-size two pages, and put a contact phone number and puppets to the Governors Mansion to protest the latest short headline in the upper-right hand corner of cut in education funding.”) subsequent pages. • List the speakers at your event. • Print your advisory on your organization’s letterhead. • Include a quote from somebody from your How to distribute it organization who works on the issue. This quote • A media advisory should arrive at news outlets 3 to 5 should be the main message that you are trying to working days before the event. convey to the press, and in extension, to the public. It • Fax or mail (if time permits) your advisory to the should be clear, well thought out and strategic. appropriate reporter, editor or producer at each • Contact information. In the top right corner, type news outlet on your press list. names and phone numbers of two contacts. Make sure • If your region has a “daybook” (you can find out by these contacts can be easily reached by phone. calling the newsroom of your largest local newspaper) Include the contact’s home phone number, if be sure to submit your advisory. A daybook lists news appropriate. events scheduled to take place in the region on that • Include a short summary of your organization. day. Major news outlets review the daybooks each • Mention “Photo Opportunity” if one exists and be sure morning. to send it to the photo editors of local news outlets as • ALWAYS make follow up calls the day before your well as to reporters – they don’t always share event, and have the advisory ready to be faxed. information with each other!

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Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Action Pack Press Release A Press Release informs reporters about your event, report, or issue. It is more detailed than the advisory, and should tell all the information a reporter needs to write their piece. Envision, then write the press release as the news story YOU would want to see written. Send it out the morning of or the day before the event. Elements contacts can be easily reached by phone. Including • Headline. This will make or break a news release— the contact’s home phone number, if appropriate. include the most important information in the headline, • Type “###” at the end of your release. This is how and make it punchy. The headline can be up to four lines journalists mark the end of a news copy. if necessary, including a sub-head, if used, but keep it • Type “MORE” at the end of page 1 if your release is short (and remember to use a large font). two pages, and put a contact phone number and short • Important information should jump off the page—most headline in the upper-right of subsequent pages. reporters will only spend 30 seconds looking at a • Print your release on your organization’s letterhead. release. • Spend 75 percent of your time writing the headline and How to Distribute It the first paragraph. • A release should be sent out the morning of, or the • Use the inverted pyramid style of news writing. Make day before your event. In some cases, you may want your most important points early in the release and work to send an “embargoed” copy to select reporters ahead your way down. of time, meaning that the information is confidential • Keep sentences and paragraphs short. No more than until the date you specify. three sentences per paragraph. • Generally, send this to only one reporter per outlet. • Include a colorful quote from a spokesperson in the • If your release announces an event, send it to the second or third paragraph. “daybooks.” A daybook lists news events scheduled • Include a short summary of your organization in the to take place in the region on that day. Someone from last paragraph. each major outlet reviews the daybooks each morning. • Mention “Photo Opportunity” if there is one. Be sure to • ALWAYS make follow up calls after you send the send a copy of the release to the photo desk. release. If your release is announcing an event, Structure / Form make the calls the morning before your event is • In the top left corner, type “For Immediate Release.” scheduled. • Below “For Immediate Release,” type the date. • Have a copy of the release ready to be faxed when • Contact Information: In the top right corner, type names you make the calls. and phone numbers of two contacts. Make sure these

Holding a Media Event A media event is an activity intended to generate news coverage. They often involve gimmicky visuals, playful stunts, props, etc. • Determine if your event is newsworthy. The more of the following characteristics it has, the more 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 & images • Build your media event—site, speakers, visuals— around your message and slogan. • Make it fun. If you don’t look like you want to be there, why should the press? • Don’t be afraid to employ stunts. Sexy and trendy events take precedence over long range things with the media. • Consider timing. Is your event competing with other things? It is best to stage an event Monday through Thursday, 10 A.M. though 2 P.M. •Find an effective location. Consider the following questions when choosing a location:

•Is the site convenient? Reporters are busy and won’t travel far for an event. • Is your site too commonly used for media events? Try to find a unique location, if possible. • If your event is outdoors, do you have a backup location? A little rain or bad weather won’t ruin an event, but severe conditions will. Consider if it is possible to postpone it if the weather is very bad. • Do you need a permit? Check with the police. •Have photographers take pictures of your event •Display a large banner or sign with your organization’s logo. •The event should last 15 to 45 minutes. •Distribute information on your issue & organization. •Remember equipment. Will you need a megaphone, podium, or portable microphone? •Have spokespersons ready to be interviewed. •Find out which reporters attended the event. Follow up with the no-shows.

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Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Action Pack Tips for Interviews • Discipline your message! Use your slogan or message as much as possible. • Familiarize yourself with three soundbites (with backup information). Write them down. • Always turn the question back to your message. • Anticipate questions • know the opposing points. • Practice-even people who speak a lot do this. • An interview isn’t over even when the tape stops. Everything you say to a journalist is on record. • Don’t get frustrated by difficult questions—just stick to your message.

• If you slip up, don’t worry. Just ask the reporter to start again (unless it’s live). •If you need more time to think, ask the reporter to repeat the question or ask a clarifying question—or simply pause and think before answering. • If you don’t know an answer to a question, don’t force it. Try to return to your message. If it’s an interview for print media, tell the reporter you’ll track down the answer later call them back. • Tell the reporter you have more to add if he or she overlooks something you think is important.

Letters to the Editor Letters to the editor (LTE’s) most often discuss a recent event/issue covered by a publication, radio station, or TV program. They are your chance to “sound-off” to your community about issues in the news. They are widely read—so make them an important part of your media strategy. • It is much easier to publish a letter to the editor than it is to place an op-ed. • Your letter has the best chance of being published if it is a reaction to a story in the paper. Respond as quickly as you can. • Read the letters page—you will learn how to develop an effective letter-writing style, and you will see if someone has already responded with your idea. • Keep it short and concise—150-200 words. The paper will take the liberty to shorten your letter to suit its format; the more it has to cut, the less control you have of what gets printed. Lead with your most

important information. • Focus on 1 main point and make a compelling case. • Write in short paragraphs, with no more than three sentences per paragraph. • Don’t write too often. Once every three months is about as often as you should write. • Avoid personal attacks. • Put your full name, address and phone number at the top of the page and sign the letter at the bottom. You must include a phone number for verification purposes. • Follow up to see if the letter was received.

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Poverty Wages and Slavery In Your M&M’s? Tell M&M/Mars:

“No matter what the shade...

...make my M&M’s Fair Trade

POVERTY AND SLAVERY ON COCOA FARMS?! Prices have been so low over the last ten years that many farmers haven been unable to meet their basic needs.

WHAT YOU CAN DO!! Ask M&M/Mars to make every shade Fair Trade, the color of dignity and freedom!

The US State Department and the ILO have reported child slavery on cocoa farms in the Ivory Coast, the origin of 43% of the world’s cocoa.

Contact M&M/Mars to demand Fair Trade today!

Over 284,000 children under age 17 are working in hazardous tasks on cocoa farms in West Africa. The best way to stop forced and child labor is to pay adults a fair price for their work. Fair Trade Certification guarantees a minimum price of $.80 per pound to farmers organized into cooperatives, and prohibits abusive child labor and forced labor. This fair income allows farmers to invest in their families’ health care and education, and offers hope for a brighter future. M&M/Mars, the leading US chocolate company, profits from this exploited and slave labor, refuses to pay farmers a Fair Trade price.

• Call: 800-627-7852. • Write: 800 High Street, Hackettstown, NJ 07840 • E-mail: [email protected] • FAX: send a FREE fax from www.globalexchange.org/cocoa For more info contact Melissa 415-575.5538 [email protected] www.globalexchange.org/cocoa We had very hard times in the 1980s when the price of cocoa beans went down. The money we used to get from selling our cocoa beans to the government didn’t give us enough to buy materials or a pump for our own water supply. Many farmers were so desperate that they sold the cacao trees for wood. Things are better because now I have joined a cooperative. –Asamoah, Kuapa Kokoo co-op member

Average income for a cocoa farmer: $110

per year, if at all Combined worth of the three owners of M&M/Mars: $30 BILLION M&M/Mars 2001 revenue: $15.5 BILLION Surely M&M/Mars can afford to offer cocoa farmers the Fair Trade alternative!

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Rights Group to Pressure M&M On Trade By Carole Vaporean March 28, 2002 Reuters NEW YORK (Reuters) - Non-profit organization Global Exchange plans to begin a campaign this weekend intended to pressure privately held chocolate manufacturer M&M/Mars to use so-called “fair trade certified” cocoa beans, a spokesman for the human rights organization said on Thursday.

tablish a system that ensures that cocoa’s grown without abusive child labor or forced labor practices,” she said. The industry has also set up a Broad Consultative Group to advise in suggesting remedies for the elimination of the worst forms of child and forced labor in the growing and processing of cocoa beans.

Declaring that cocoa farmers in West African states receive inadequate pay for their crop and that slave laborers are used to pick and process the beans, Global Exchange said it is attempting to put a stop to those practices. The group began targeting chocolate manufacturers for unfair trade practices late last year, but this is the first time it will aim its efforts directly at M&M. The group is focusing on the chocolate industry as a whole, but picking out different companies at each holiday. It began its campaign on Valentine’s Day. While not accusing M&M directly of slave trade, the group is demanding that the chocolate-maker take more of a leadership role in demanding only cocoa beans that carry a certificate of fair trade from its West African suppliers.

Global Exchange thinks elimination of child slavery on cocoa farms should happen sooner. It proposes that chocolate manufacturers start immediately by importing five percent of their cocoa supply using fair trade certified beans, and ramp up gradually to 100 percent to send a strong message to slave traders in Africa, the spokesman said. This weekend local chapters throughout the United States will go to local movie theaters in what Global Exchange calls an education campaign for urgency about the dire labor conditions in West Africa. Activists will be asking people to fax, call, write or email M&M in Hackettstown, New Jersey to tell the company they want the chocolate manufacturer to purchase cocoa from growers or producers who employ fair trade practices. “This is the first major pressure put on M&M/ Mars, the first organized, nationwide effort. Why M&M? Because they’re an industry leader,” he said.

Michelle Weese, spokeswoman for M&M/Mars, said she thinks the chocolate maker is “on the same page” as Global Exchange and was somewhat perplexed at why M&M was being targeted. “Organizations involved in promoting fair trade, we share their interest in improving the economic conditions of cocoa farmers. We all have the same interest,” Weese said. “Any kind of child-trafficking or abusive labor practices in growing cocoa are simply unacceptable to us. We strongly condemn these practices wherever they occur,” she added. On December 1, the world’s top chocolate makers and cocoa merchants announced that they had joined leading anti-slavery and other groups in signing a statement against child labor abuses in the production of West African cocoa. INDUSTRY EFFORTS The joint statement is the third in a seven-step industry protocol developed last September that is scheduled to be completed by July 2005. “We are working with the industry and we have undertaken a global effort to put together a comprehensive protocol that lays out a timetable to determine the extent of the problem and to es-

NO GUARANTEE “U.S. consumers have no guarantee that the chocolate they are eating is untainted, and we’re saying these companies need to come up with a better system of making a commitment to fair trade,” the spokesman said. Global Exchange’s education effort coincides with Easter weekend, one of the top chocolate sales weeks of the year. “We had already planned something for this weekend, because it’s a major chocolate holiday, But, when we came across M&M’s balloting gimmick around the (M&M) colors, we thought that would be a great way to talk to people about the issue,” the spokesman said. In a marketing campaign scheduled to last until the end of May, M&M is asking consumers worldwide to vote for their favorite new M&M color on its Web site (http:// gcv.mms.com) or by sending or faxing their choice. Part of Global Exchange’s plan this weekend is to have consumers choose “fair trade certified” as their preferred color, and ask M&M to offer fair trade chocolate.

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Slavery and Exploitation in Your Chocolate? Don’t You – and the Farmers – Deserve an Alternative? SLAVERY in your chocolate... “Beatings were a part of my life. Anytime they loaded you with bags and you fell while carrying them, nobody helped you. Instead, they beat you and beat you until you picked it up again. I was always thinking about my parents and how I could get back to my country. I had seen others who tried to escape. When they tried they were severely beaten.” Aly, 14, former slave POVERTY in your sweets... “The money we used to get from selling our cocoa beans to the government didn’t give us enough to buy materials or a pump for our own water supply. Many farmers were so desperate that they sold the cacao trees for wood.” Asamoah, co-op member FAIR TRADE chocolate... In the Kumasi area of Ghana, a group of farmers formed a cooperative named Kuapa Kokoo, which means ‘good cocoa farmer.’ About 250 village societies involving around 63,000 people sell cocoa through Kuapa Kokoo. The Fair Trade revenues they receive provide the money to improve farms, build schools and establish local health care services.

BITTER, or...

Isn’t it time that the $13 billion US chocolate industry offered the Fair Trade alternative that struggling cocoa farmers need?

SWEET!!

• Child slavery on Ivory Coast cocoa farms was recently • Fair Trade criteria guarantee $.80/pound regardless uncovered by the International Labor Organization and of the volatile market price–a minimum wage. the US State Department. In 2002, the International • Fair Trade prohibits forced or exploitative child labor. Institute of Tropical Agriculture reported that over 284,000 children under age 17 work in hazardous tasks • Farmers are organized into democratic cooperatives that control their marketing and can participate in on cocoa farms. union activities. • Average annual cocoa revenues in West Africa amount • Fair Trade promotes direct long-term relationships with to only $30-$108 per household member. small farmers, and provides credit at low rates. • Farmers receive about 1 cent for a typical candy bar. • Fair Trade promotes sustainable farming techniques. • Deregulation & privatization–demanded by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund–have left small • Fair Trade cocoa is produced by 42,000 farmers in 8 farmers at the mercy of the volatile world market, without co-ops, from 8 countries: Belize, Bolivia, Cameroon, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, any supports or a safety net. Ghana, and Nicaragua • The U.S. is the world’s largest consumer of cocoa products, taking in 3.3 billion pounds, and spending $13 • Fair Trade Certification for cocoa and chocolate was introduced to the US in 2002. billion per year. • About 14 million people are directly involved in cocoa • In 2000, Fair Trade co-ops produced 89 million pounds of cocoa but sold only 3 million at Fair Trade production; 6.6 billion pounds were produced in 2000. terms. The other 86 million pounds had to be sold at • Cocoa revenues are critical for West African economies. unfair prices, often below the costs of production. It It accounts for over 33% of total export earnings in will stay that way–until consumers in the US build Ghana and 40% in the Ivory Coast. West Africa the market for Fair Trade! produces 67% of the world’s crop, with 43% from the • See the back of this sheet to learn how to get involved! Ivory Coast alone.

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Ten Things You Can Do to Support Fair Trade for Farmers 1 BUY Fair Trade Certified chocolate and cocoa. See our web site fora list of sources.

2 ASK

for Fair Trade Certified chocolate at your local grocery store. Drop a note in the suggestion box and chat with the manager. Ask us for a sample letter and a list of companies that offer Fair Trade chocolate and cocoa.

3 EDUCATE

your school, church, or community group about how Fair Trade can help bring an end to poverty, child labor, and slavery on cocoa farms. Our web site has lots of resources and information on speakers, video and other educational materials. Use our Children’s Activity Book to spread the word about Fair Trade with local schools and neighborhood children Contact us to for materials and information.

4 WRITE a Letter to the Editor or an article in your local newspaper about your concern about child slavery and child labor on cocoa farms and your commitment to Fair Trade. See our web site for sample letters and article.

5 ADVOCATE for Fair Trade at local schools, your work, place of worship, community organizations, and on campus. “Adopt” a local school and get them to convert their chocolate fundraiser to Fair Trade. Ask that Fair Trade chocolate be used for your organization’s events, fundraisers, and gifts. Contact us to receive our Fair Trade Chocolate Fundraising Guide and information on our “Adopt a School” campaign.

6 ORGANIZE a Fair Trade Chocolate campaign in your community! Recruit community members to work with local schools, get Fair Trade chocolate into local stores, and organize education and action events. For materials, information, and assistance, contact us today!

7 DEMAND Fair Trade from M&M/Mars call: 800-627-7852, write: Paul Michaels, President M&M/Mars, 6885 Elm St., McLean, VA 22101, e-mail: [email protected] Send a FREE fax from our website. To get involved in related activities- including a children’s letter writing campaign- visit our web site and contact us.

8 LOBBY your senators and congress members to promote trade policies with Africa, Asia, and Latin America based on Fair Trade not “free trade.” For information contact [email protected].

9 SUPPORT

our Fair Trade campaigns by becoming a member of Global Exchange or by making a donation. Our campaign wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of concerned people like you! For more information, contact our Development Department and visit our web site.

10 CONNECT with the Fair Trade movement! Subscribe to our listserve by sending a message with the word SUBSCRIBE to [email protected]. Students can sign up for the United Students for Fair Trade listserv by sending a blank email to [email protected].

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Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Nothing Sweet: Child Labor, Slavery, & Poverty on Cocoa Farms Slavery and Poverty on Cocoa Farms The six largest cocoa producing countries are the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Indonesia, Nigeria, Brazil, and Cameroon. Cocoa has especially significant effects on the economy and the population in these countries. For example, in Ghana, cocoa accounts for 40% of total export revenues, and two million farmers are employed in cocoa production. The Ivory Coast is the world’s largest cocoa producer, providing 43% of the world’s cocoa. In 1998, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) uncovered a reemergence of child slavery on Ivory Coast cocoa farms. Two years later, the US State Department noted that in recent years approximately 15,000 children aged 9 to 12 have been sold into forced labor on cotton, coffee and cocoa plantations in the north of the country. In June of 2001 the International Labor Organization (ILO) reported that child trafficking is widespread in West Africa. The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) followed up these reports with a study of 1,500 farms in the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon. Their results, released in August 2002, indicated that 284,000 children are working on cocoa farms in hazardous tasks such as using machetes and applying pesticides without the necessary protection. The IITA also reported that about 12,500 children working on cocoa farms had no relatives in the area, suggesting that they were trafficked as slaves. These child laborers and slaves do the arduous work of picking cocoa pods, slicing them open, and scooping out the cocoa beans. They come from countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Togo - nations even more destitute than the impoverished Ivory Coast. Parents in these countries sell their children to traffickers believing that they will find honest work in the Ivory Coast, and send their earnings home. In reality, the young boys are made to work long and hard for nothing, heading into the fields at 6:00 in the morning and working until 6:30 at night. Beatings by farm owners and managers are common. "The beatings were a part of my life," Aly Diabate, a freed slave, told reporters in 2001. "Anytime they loaded you with bags [of cocoa] and you fell while carrying them, nobody helped you. Instead, they beat you and beat you until you picked it up again." Though he had worked countless days harvesting cocoa pods -- 400 of which are needed to make a pound of chocolate -- Diabate has never tasted the finished product. "I don't know what chocolate is," he said.

It is unbelievable and unacceptable that, in the beginning of the 21st century, the children of West Africa are trapped in conditions that were supposed to have been eliminated in the 19th century. Whether used as slaves or paid, children working on cocoa farms are not likely to be going to school as other children their age. The IITA report noted that only 34% of children working on cocoa farms in the Ivory Coast were attending school, half the rate of those not working on cocoa farms. The IITA study also reported that 64% of children on cocoa farms were under the age of 14, meaning that the loss of an education comes at an early age on cocoa farms.. In addition to these horrible conditions, cocoa farmers are facing severe poverty. The IITA report stated that average annual earnings from cocoa farming range from $30 to $108 per member of household, which makes “it difficult for families to have sufficient income to meet their needs.” Mana Osei Yawu III, Chief of Niveneso Village in Ghana has said " We had no water in the village, we just had dirty water from rivers and streams. People spent a lot of time collecting water and there was always someone who was sick. Many people in the village were wondering how much longer they could stay in the village without water, because they were getting sick. The money we used to get from selling our cocoa beans to the government didn’t give us enough to buy materials or a pump for our own water supply.” The cause: “Free trade,” structural adjustment, and corporate control Severe poverty, child labor, and the reemergence of child slavery can be blamed, in part, by cocoa revenues that are too low to allow farmers to meet their production costs, much less their basic needs. Several times in recent history raw cocoa prices have fallen so drastically low that farmers have given up growing cocoa and switched to other crops, most recently from 1999-2000. Common crop diseases and periodic natural disasters such as droughts and hurricanes add to farmers’ problems by causing significant unexpected crop damage. The effects of low cocoa revenues have been exacerbated by Structural Adjustment programs imposed on indebted countries by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which involve agricultural deregulation, support for increased agricultural exports, currency devaluation, privatization of services, and cuts in public services. Agricultural deregulation in West Africa has abolished

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Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Nothing Sweet (continued) commodity boards across the region, leaving small farmers at the mercy of the sudden drops in the world market, while currency devaluation and increased export production have decreased export values. Cuts in public services have left poor farmers and their families without a safety net, in total desperation. This economic crisis has forced farmers to cut their labor costs, and tragically that has meant using slave labor or pulling children out of school to work on family farms. The IITA report clearly stated the link between poverty and labor conditions on cocoa farms: “Interviews with community leaders indicated that the greater employment of family labor was a common response to the recent drop in cocoa prices and the crisis in cocoa incomes. In addition to the substitution of family labor for paid labor, farmers have reduced the use of purchased inputs. The net effect of both of these factors has led to lower productivity and incomes, and, perhaps most importantly, to reduced household investments in children’s education.” For years, US chocolate manufacturers have said they aren’t responsible for the conditions on cocoa plantations since they don't own them. But the $13 billion chocolate industry is heavily consolidated, with just two firms -- Hershey's and M&M/Mars -- controlling two-thirds of the US chocolate candy market. This means that if these global corporations really wanted to reform problems in the supply chain, they have the power and the ability to do so. In 2001 the chocolate industry finally stopped denying responsibility for the problems in West Africa after a string of media exposés and the threat of government action jeopardized their image and business-as-usual. Frightened by the thought of any sort of regulation, the chocolate industry said it would take steps to eliminate child slavery. On November 30, 2001 the US chocolate industry, along with the International Union of Foodworkers, the ILO, Free the Slaves, and the Child Labor Coalition, announced a plan to eliminate the worst forms of child labor (ILO Convention 182) and forced labor (ILO Convention 29) in the cocoa industry. However, their plan doesn’t address the basic issue of prices for small farmers. Without such a guarantee, there is no way to ensure that child slavery and poverty are brought to an end for good.

guarantee that poor producers are paid a fair price for their harvests. Monitoring agencies from importing countries collaborate with diverse networks of cooperatives from producing countries to create a humane trading system that benefits people and the environment. While the global price for cocoa hovers around $.40/pound, the Fair Trade system guarantees farmers $.80/pound, giving them the income to support their families with dignity. Despite growing demand, Mars, Inc. and other major chocolate companies in the US have refused to offer farmers the Fair Trade alternative they so desperately need. In June, more than 200 citizens groups signed a letter to M&M/Mars asking the company to address the injustices in the cocoa fields by starting to offer Fair Trade Certified chocolate. The corporation offered no response. It is clear that we need to keep pushing for Fair Trade from chocolate in growing numbers! Please see below to learn more and get involved! Get involved! Global Exchange Fair Trade chocolate campaign Activist tools, news, background information, & more! www.globalexchange.org/cocoa [email protected], 415-575-5538 Resources (most at www.globalexchange.org/cocoa) Chocolate Manufacturers Association of America. Global Chocolate Industry Plan to Combat Abusive Child Labor. www.candyusa.org Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International. Fairtrade Standards for Cocoa. www.fairtrade.net International Institute of Tropical Agriculture. Child Labor in the Cocoa Sector of West Africa: A synthesis of findings in Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Nigeria. www.iita.org International Labor Organization. Combating Child Trafficking in West and Central Africa. www.ilo.org Knight Ridder News Service. Much of America's Sweets Made Possible Through Slave Labor on Ivory Coast. June 25,2001. New Internationalist. Best of the Best. August 1998.

The solution: Fair Trade

True Vision Productions. Slavery, A Global Investigation.

Fortunately, there is a way to correct the problems in the cocoa system: Fair Trade. Fair Trade is an international system of monitoring and certification to

US Department of State. Cote d'Ivoire, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. www.state.gov

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Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Fair Trade Cocoa and the Environment Traditional Farming Cocoa, the main ingredient in chocolate is derived from Theobroma cacao, an “understory” tree that originated in Latin American rainforests. When grown beneath a diverse cover of shade trees, which is the traditional method, cacao plants provide habitat for wildlife such as birds, butterflies, insects, and animals. Traditional farmers generally use sustainable agricultural techniques including composting, rotating crops, and not applying expensive chemicals and fertilizers. In addition, they typically cultivate cocoa alongside other plants such as banana and nut trees that provide food for the farmers’ families as well as additional sources of income. Industrial Farming–Deforestation To meet the world’s growing demand for chocolate, “technified” high yield sungrown hybrids were developed during the “Green Revolution” in the 1970’s. Sun cultivated cacao involves clear cutting of planting areas so increased used of these hybrids has resulted in significant deforestation of pristine rainforests in Latin America and Africa. As reported in the Sierra Club magazine, 14% of the Ivory Coast’s rainforests had been deforested for cocoa production by the year 2000. Sun cultivated cacao is also associated with single-crop plantings (“monoculture”), which removes the biodiversity that is essential for many species in the rainforest and threatens local food security. Industrial Farming–Pesticide and Fertilizer Pollution Technified cacao also requires large amounts of chemical fertilizers and pesticide, which poison local air and water supplies. This has put local animal populations and those who live and work in the community at the risk of being exposed to dangerous levels of these compounds. On top of this, the overuse of pesticides is actually increasing the problems they were designed to

control. At a 1998 meeting, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute concluded that the overuse of pesticides had actually encouraged the development of more virulent strains of pests and diseases. This has forced farmers to abandon their farms after only a few years and move on to a new area of the rainforest to start the cycle of catastrophe all over again. Shade-grown and Organic cocoa Cocoa production need not be destructive and can actually be beneficial if done properly. The World Watch Institute noted that traditional cacao farming could in fact bring the damaged Brazilian rainforest back to its richly diverse natural state. World Watch Institute also reported that, because traditional methods allow for more room between cacao plants, they naturally minimize the spread of the common diseases that bring farmers to use chemical pesticides. As for the many species that thrive in the shady rainforest, Russell Greenberg of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center has said: “So long as chocolate is grown under forest shade trees that means some habitat for migratory songbirds is being saved, as well as species diversity in resident birds, lizards, mammals, and insects.” Jeff Parrish of the Nature Conservancy also stated that “Cacao habitats can harbor high species richness equal to or even surpassing that of forest. Although cacao should not replace forest, as many bird species can only survive within large intact tracts of forest habitat, cacao has been shown to clearly supplement forest habitat and enhance the survival of threatened species in an increasingly fragmented landscape. Since cacao can buffer national parks and reserves from more damaging practices, it can serve as a mutually beneficial land use for both farmers and conservationists alike.” Certification for Organic and Shade-grown Cocoa Many cocoa farmers still use traditional methods, growing cocoa organically under a shade canopy. These

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Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Fair Trade Cocoa and the Environment (continued) farmers benefit not only by having cleaner air and water, but generally receive better revenues because organic cocoa yields a higher price than conventional cocoa. You can support sustainable practices and the farmers who use them by buying chocolate and cocoa products that are certified organic and shade-grown. Organic chocolate is certified in the US by organizations such as Quality Assurance International and Oregon Tilth. Cocoa is certified as shade-grown by the Rainforest Alliance. Fair Trade certification and sustainability Sustainable farming is the traditional route for the small farmers who make up Fair Trade cooperatives because they tend to be the best stewards of the land and possess the highest interest in keeping the natural environment healthy for their families and future generations. In addition, small farmers typically have not had the money to cut down forests or purchase large amounts of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. As a result, the majority of Fair Trade Certified cocoa is shade grown and either passive or certified organic. Although Fair Trade criteria do not mandate organic and shade grown methods, several aspects of the Fair Trade system support sustainable production and farmers are actively encouraged to seek organic certification. Fair Trade criteria ban certain pesticides and require the use of integrated crop management, where organic methods of pest/disease control and fertilization are emphasized over chemical ones. Fair Trade cooperatives are also required to set aside revenues for technical workshops, which often address the benefits and proper use of sustainable techniques and thus promote their increased use. Some certified organic chocolate is produced with cocoa from Fair Trade cooperatives, but unless a product is Fair Trade Certified, there is no guarantee that the farmer received the benefit or that adequate prices will continue. Outside of the Fair Trade system, middlemen may hold back large portions of revenue or charge unfair fees for their services, and prices can fluctuate widely. In the Fair Trade system, farmer cooperatives are paid directly and receive a minimum of $.88 per pound for organic cocoa. This amount is higher than the Fair Trade price for conventionally grown cocoa ($0.80 per pound), representing another incentive for organic production in the Fair Trade system.

Fair Trade farmers speak about sustainability Fair Trade farmers realize both the environmental and economic benefits of using organic methods. Isidoro de la Rosa, director of the Conacado cooperative in the Dominican Republic said: “With the Fairtrade income, we were able to implement a fermentation program to improve the quality and to convert our production to certified organic. This improved our position in the export-market.” Similarly, Cayetano Ico, chairman and farmer from the TCGA cooperative in Belize stated: “Our objectives for the next years are to … promote production of organic cocoa among our members, to promote education and awareness concerning the ecosystem and to diversify production. We still need to learn a lot and gain experience in trading and marketing. Fairtrade gives us this possibility.” In sum, we believe that paying farmers a fair wage and offering incentives for ecological practices is the best way to encourage sustainable farming. Organic and shade-grown certification labels have made important contributions in promoting sustainable techniques that benefit farmers, the environment, and consumers. However, we still need to ensure that the benefits of organic farming techniques reach the farmer as well as the consumer and the environment. Fair Trade guarantees this. Consumers who want to do what is good for workers, trees, birds, and our shared environment can buy chocolate that is multiply certified: Fair Trade, Organic and Shade Grown. Get involved & learn more! Global Exchange Fair Trade Chocolate Campaign 415-575-5538 [email protected] www.globalexchange.org/cocoa Rainforest Alliance [email protected] www.rainforest-alliance.org The Nature Conservancy www.tnc.org Bright, C. (2001). Chocolate Could Bring the Forest Back. World Watch Magazine. www.worldwatch.org Pennybacker, M. (2000). The Hidden Life of Chocolate. Sierra. http://www.sierraclub.org

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Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Fair Trade Cocoa Farmers in Bolivia: El Ceibo

The Beginnings of El Ceibo Alto Beni was colonized in the 1960’s. The colonists were given small farms and had to join a government– run cooperative. When the government cooperative went bankrupt the cocoa farmers were left without marketing resources and had to turn to intermediaries to transport their cocoa along the difficult route to La Paz. In general, these farmers received unfairly low prices for their cocoa because they lacked knowledge of market prices and intermediaries often exchanged other commodities their cocoa instead of cash. In the 1970’s, many farmers began to see that this system was problematic and they organized into their own cooperatives. In order to maximize their marketing power, some of the cooperatives united in 1977 to form El Ceibo, which joined the Fair Trade system in 1997. Today El Ceibo includes around 36 smaller cooperatives. The goals of El Ceibo are to improve the living conditions of the members and increase crop diversity and productivity. Cocoa Production in El Ceibo Cocoa farming is localized to the lower regions of Bolivia that have the tropical climate cocoa requires. It is an important crop for many farmers in these regions, accounting for as much as 80% of some farmers’ incomes. Because cocoa prices have fallen, many of the farmers have been diversifying their production with crops such as coffee, citric fruits, bananas and dried fruits. El Ceibo is unique in that it was the first cooperative to convert to organic production, gain organic certification and process its own cocoa. About 65% of El

Ceibo’s production was certified organic as of May of 2000 and the cooperative has been working to increase that amount. The cooperative has developed its processing so well that the farmers are already exporting their own cocoa butter and cocoa liquor and selling their own chocolate domestically. Many members work in both the agricultural and processing sectors, giving the farmers extra opportunities to develop skills that will help them remain competitive in the market. The Fair Trade Market Sales through Fair Trade have been especially important to El Ceibo’s Development. Fair Trade ensures a minimum price of $.80/ pound under long-term contracts, access to credit, and prohibits abusive child labor and forced labor. Fair Trade farmers are required to reserve a portion of their revenues for social projects, ensuring that community development and technical training for farmers will always be possible. Fair Trade also promotes environmentally sustainable practices such as shade cultivation, composting, and minimization of chemical inputs, ensuring that farmers use cultivation techniques that are safe for the environment and public health. Photo: Peter McFarren

For the El Ceibo El Ceibo cooperative (“Central de Cooperativas Agropecuria-industrial”) in the Alto Beni region in northeast Bolivia, Fair Trade has brought new independence and empowerment to farmers who were shuffled from one flawed and exploitative agricultural exporting system to another.

El Ceibo’s Fair Trade sales amounted to 55 tons of beans and 35 tons of processed products in 1998, and 65 tons of cocoa beans and 20 tons of processed products in 1999. The cooperative began selling to the US Fair Trade market in 2002, which will ensure a fair price for more of the cooperative’s harvest. El Ceibo’s farmers receive especially good returns on their crop because organic cocoa yields an extra premium in both the Fair Trade system and the world market and the cooperative does some of its own processing. El Ceibo’s Fair Trade premiums have supported agricultural improvement and community development in many ways. For example, the cooperative offers incentives for organic production, has a fund for community projects and activities, and a Safety Fund for medical emergencies. The cooperative’s success has been attributed in part

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Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Fair Trade Cocoa Farmers in Bolivia (continued) to an exceptionally high level of solidarity, farmer involvement, and community spirit. Work sharing and mutual help are important, especially during the harvest season. Future Plans for El Ceibo The cooperative is still working to improve aspects of its cocoa processing, increase its domestic sales, and make its management and marketing more efficient. The farmers are confident that they will make progress because Fair Trade guarantees the basic resources they need. “We have a secure market and even if prices drop in other markets, we are paid what has been offered; the sale is secure,” says Senobrio Nabia, a cooperative member. Bernardo Apaza Llusco, Commercial Manager has said: “El Ceibo is the name of a tree that grows steadily into a big tree and does not die. We took this name for our organisation: we will grow fast and will not die. Annually we produce about 400 to 500 tons of cocoa. We commercialise 70% of it and 50% of the cocoa is processed in our own factory in La Paz. At present we are diversifying the chocolate products and sell the new products on the national market.” Through Fair Trade these farmers have been able to break out of an exploitative agricultural system, take

hold of their own production, increase their marketing power, and provide for their communities with dignity. However, the farmers and their community still face many needs and have much room for growth in front of them. To reach their goals, they need increased Fair Trade sales. Concerned consumers can play an essential role in making this happen one delicious bite at a time by buying Fair Trade cocoa and chocolate and encouraging more retailers and companies to offer it. See the following resources to learn more and get started today! RESOURCES These companies use cocoa from El Ceibo Ithaca Fine Chocolates 607-257-7954 [email protected] www.ithacafinechocolates.com Traidcraft www.traidcraft.co.uk

Get involved & learn more! Global Exchange Fair Trade Chocolate Campaign 415-575-5538 [email protected] www.globalexchange.org/cocoa Alternatives to ‘Slash and Burn’ Agriculture, Bolivia Natural Resources Institute www.nri.org Fair Trade Labeling Organizations International www.fairtrade.net

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Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Fair Trade Cocoa Farmers in the Dominican Republic: Conacado The Conacado cooperative The Dominican Republic is the home of the Conacado cooperative, which was founded in 1988, and joined the Fair Trade system in 1995. The Dominican Republic’s tourism industry has increased significantly in recent years but this has not helped small farmers in the inner part of the country, many of whom are still struggling to survive. Even most of Conacado’s small-scale farmers must also work on bigger plantations because their cocoa revenues do not meet their needs. As a result, farmers are limited in the time and money they can direct towards their own crops. Conacado has about 9,000 members, who belong to 126 smaller cooperatives that are organized into regional groups called “bloques.” Each bloque differs according to member needs, though each has a Board, Assemblies and Producer Committees. Each bloque also organizes exchange visits and workshops focused on agricultural and administrative topics. Local and national staff work with the Producer Committees to develop annual work plans, organize special activities, and evaluate loans. Conacado’s goals are to generate work and income for disadvantaged groups, increase quality and productivity, foster direct trade relationships, and provide credit and technical assistance. Cocoa production in Conacado Cocoa accounts for 90% of the income members receive through Conacado. Other commodities such as bananas, citric fruits, potatoes, other vegetables and coffee are also produced for the local market and home consumption. Most of Conacado’s cocoa has always been organic and shade grown. The cooperative is working to help farmers improve and expand these methods so that all cocoa will be certified organic. Fair Trade provides added support for farming methods that are safe for the environment and public health by encouraging shade cultivation, composting, and minimization of

chemical inputs, and offering a higher price for organic cocoa. The country’s tropical maritime climate offers the perfect growing conditions for cocoa but also presents the constant threat of heavy weather influences, with more than one hurricane passing close by the island or hitting it each autumn. Farmers across the Dominican Republic were devastated in 1998 when Hurricane George destroyed countless acres of many important agricultural products, including the majority of cocoa plants and shade trees. The Dominican government had very limited funding for these farmers, most of whom do not have savings and face extreme difficulty securing loans. Commodity prices in the world economy just aren’t high enough to support much more than day to day survival. Fortunately the picture is a little brighter for Conacado’s farmers because Fair Trade ensures a minimum price of $.80/ pound under long-term contracts, access to credit, and prohibits abusive child labor and forced labor. Fair Trade farmers are required to reserve a portion of their revenues for social projects, ensuring that community development and technical training for farmers will always be possible. Fair Trade sales have provided the cooperative with enough income to meet basic expenses and invest in the future. After Hurricane George, the importance of Fair Trade revenues was clear. Isidoro de la Rosa, the director of Conacado, explains: “With the Fairtrade premium of 1999, we had planned to build some important roads, but with Hurricane George, which destroyed many of the farms and reduced our production with 70%, the General Assembly of members decided to use this money to ‘clean up’ the damaged farms and to create nurseries for new planting material.” Conacado’s capacity for production has improved since its incorporation but remains at the mercy of tropical weather patterns. As a result of Hurricane George, total

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Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Fair Trade Cocoa Farmers in the Dominican Republic (continued) cocoa production dropped from 5,799 tons in 1998 to 1,912 tons in 1999 while total exports dropped from 3,724 tons to 1,555 tons across this time. On the positive side, Fair Trade sales rose from 88 tons in 1998 to 234 tons in 1999. Benefits of Fair Trade Fair Trade has helped Conacado’s farmers in many important ways in addition to supporting rebuilding after Hurricane George. The cooperative has organized workshops to teach farmers how to improve fermentation techniques, expand sustainable growing methods, increase productivity, and participate more actively in the cooperative. In addition to these programs, Conacado facilitates many other projects, some with funding from other NGO’s. One example is the Juntas Mujeres Campesinas, which is a group of three women’s organizations that oversee the production of wine, bread, liquor, jam, chocolate and organic fertilizers. Isidoro has expressed just how much the cooperative and Fair Trade system have offered to farmers and their communities: “In our country there was no tradition of fermenting cocoa. With the Fairtrade income, we were able to implement a fermentation programme to improve the quality and to convert our production to certified organic. This improved our position in the export-market. These days the competition for small-scale farmers organizations has become very aggressive, so only niche markets allow us to survive.” Future plans for Conacado For Conacado, Fair Trade has paved the way for renewal, and continues to be a foundation of hope for continued growth. However, Conacado’s members still sell much of their cocoa in the conventional market where prices have been below the cost of production for over two years. “We would like to see the Fairtrade sales increase to improve our market position,” says Isidoro. Farmer incomes are sufficient to cover the ba-

sic costs of living but do not leave room for savings or extra expenses such as home improvements. Families with especially large numbers of children still can’t afford to send them all to school. In addition, as late as 2000 many cocoa gardens were still covered with dense weeds, awaiting the funds for replanting. Increased consumer demand is the key that will open up the Fair Trade market and bring Conacado’s members the additional Fair Trade revenues they need so much. By buying Fair Trade chocolate and advocating for it in your local community and beyond, you can help build the Fair Trade market and ensure that chocolate is as sweet for the farmers as it is for you. See the following resources to learn more and get started today! RESOURCES These companies use cocoa from Conacado Equal Exchange www.equalexchange.com [email protected] 781-830-0303 La Siembra Cooperative [email protected] www.lasiembra.com Traidcraft www.traidcraft.co.uk

Get involved & learn more! Global Exchange Fair Trade Chocolate Campaign 415-575-5538 [email protected] www.globalexchange.org/cocoa Fair Trade Foundation UK www.fairtrade.org.uk Fair Trade Labeling Organizations International www.fairtrade.net

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Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Fair Trade Cocoa Farmers in Ghana: Kuapa Kokoo

Although cocoa is a major part of Ghana’s economy, many small farmers in Ghana and across West Africa are struggling to make ends meet because agricultural deregulation and market liberalization have allowed prices to fall to insufficient levels and fluctuate wildly. Some cocoa farmers in West Africa were even found to be using child slaves and child labor in 2001, largely because they simply could not afford to pay for the labor they needed. For the Kuapa Kokoo cooperative, Fair Trade has allowed farmers to bypass many such difficulties. Fair Trade ensures a minimum price of $.80/pound under long-term contracts, access to credit, and prohibits abusive child labor and forced labor. Fair Trade farmers are required to reserve a portion of their revenues for social projects, ensuring that community development and technical training for farmers will always be possible. The Kuapa Kooko Cooperative Kuapa Kooko, which means “good cocoa farmers company,” in the Twi dialect in Ghana, was formed in 1993 by a group of farmers who wanted to increase their power and representation in the market. It now has over 35,000 members. In addition to the goal of farmer empowerment, other elements of the cooperative’s mission include maximizing women’s participation in the co-op, and using environmentally sustainable farming methods. The cooperative has ensured women’s participation in all aspects of cooperative activity by insisting that a minimum number of decision-making positions be filled by women, thus supporting equality for women’s voices and women’s needs. Fair Trade helps support Kuapa Kooko’s goal

to use sustainable techniques that are safe for the environment and public health by encouraging shade cultivation, composting, and minimization of chemical inputs. The cooperative comprises five main branches: Kuapa Kokoo Limited handles trading; the Farmers Trust distributes Fair Trade premiums across the farmers and their community development projects; the Credit Union provides banking advice and good loans; the Farmers Union serves as the governing body, and the Day Chocolate Company produced chocolate for sale on the international market. The Farmers Union is composed of village groups that elect society committees and delegates at the regional level, who elect delegates to the National Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Union. The Farmers Union represents one element of Kuapa Kokoo’s efforts to ensure that the cooperative is run democratically. The Union’s elected representatives make all decisions that will ultimately affect farmers and their communities. In addition to its democratic nature, Kuapa Kokoo prides itself on the transparency of its dealings with farmers. For example, the cooperative has built a reputation for credibility by using accurate weighing scales that can be understood by all farmers.

Photo: Phil Grout/SERRV Int’l

Cocoa Farming in Ghana For nearly a century, Ghana has played a central role in the cocoa industry. The West African nation first began exporting cocoa in the late 19th century and from 1911 to 1976, it served as the world’s leading producer, contributing 30-40% of world cocoa output. Today, the cocoa industry continues to be a central component of the Ghanaian economy, providing roughly 1.6 million jobs in cocoa cultivation in addition to many more jobs in related industries.

Cocoa Production in Kuapa Kokoo Kuapa produced about 17,400 tons of cocoa in 1999. Their cocoa is noted to be of very high quality and the cooperative is very proud of this. Their motto is “pa pa paa,” which means “best of the best” in the Twi language. The cooperative is not yet selling organic cocoa but have established a pilot program in organic production and expect to obtain organic certification soon. The cooperative is unique in that it does not just produce cocoa but jointly owns a chocolate company and is directly involved in its daily operations. In 1998, Kuapa Kokoo joined Twin Trading and The Body Shop to create the Day Chocolate Company. Supported by Christian Aid and Comic Relief, Kuapa Kokoo holds one third the company and two places on the board. This arrangement has empowered the farmers with a direct stake in the world market and the skills to

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Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Fair Trade Cocoa Farmers in Ghana: Kuapa Kokoo navigate it- resulting in significantly increased profits for the farmers - as well as a deep sense of pride from their true ownership of all stages of chocolate production. The Day Chocolate Company produces Dubble and Divine, and distributes its products throughout the UK, Europe, Canada, and the US. The Fair Trade Market Kuapa Kokoo sells some of its cocoa through the Fair trade system The rest is sold through the government marketing board, Cocobod, which provides farmers with a combination of cash payments and services whose total value is based on world market prices. The cooperative able to sell about 600 tons of their cocoa through the Fair Trade system in 1998, the first year they were involved in Fair Trade. In 1999, Fair Trade sales amounted to 400 tons because of an early closure in the market that harvest season. Fair Trade sales have increased yearly since then due to growth in distribution for the Day Chocolate company. In 2002, Divine Chocolate obtained Fair Trade Certification in the US in 2002, SERRV was chosen as the official US distributor for Divine, and the Co-op supermarket chain in the UK decided to make all of its chocolate from Fair Trade cocoa purchased through Kuapa Kokoo, opening up many opportunities for much needed growth in the cooperative’s Fair Trade sales. Benefits of Fair Trade Fair Trade has brought many concrete benefits to the cooperative. Technical training has helped the farmers perfect their cultivation and processing skills. This in turn has led to higher quality and thus higher prices for their cocoa. The farmers have also used their Fair Trade premiums to purchase agricultural tools at bulk rates, which are shared across cooperative members, resulting in important savings. In keeping with its support for women, the cooperative has organized special workshops to educate women on a range of different issues, from health to financial management. These efforts are supplemented by projects that provide women with their own income, thereby decreasing their financial dependence on their husbands. In one such project, women make soap from discarded cocoa husks, which cuts waste and maximizes resources while generating additional profits through sales in the international market. The members of Kuapa Kooko have spoken eloquently on how Fair Trade has helped them improve their farms and communities. As Lucy Manusah stated, "Before becoming a member of Kuapa in 1994 we were always in financial crisis and we always had our

(continued)

children at home. Now because of better and more timely payments, including the bonus from Kuapa, I can afford the fees to send my children to school.” Mana Osei Yawu III, Chief of Niveneso Village, has said: "We have just got our first well and now we want to make other improvements in the community. Getting water has always been a huge problem. It’s one of the essential things that mankind needs to stay alive. Air is freely available, but clean water is harder to get. Many people in the village were wondering how much longer they could stay in the village without water, because they were getting sick. The money we used to get from selling our cocoa beans to the government didn’t give us enough to buy materials or a pump for our own water supply. Thanks to Fair Trade, we have more money, no illness, and we are growing more cocoa." Future plans for Kuapa Kokoo Through Fair Trade the members of Kuapa Kokoo have been able to improve their quality and yield, take hold of their own production, increase their marketing power, and provide for their families and communities with dignity. However, the farmers and their community still face many needs and have much room for growth. Specific aims include increasing production and export levels, furthering active participation from co-op members, and obtaining organic certification. To reach these goals, they need increased Fair Trade sales. Concerned consumers can play an essential role in making this happen one delicious bite at a time by buying Fair Trade cocoa and chocolate and encouraging more retailers and companies to offer it. See the following resources to learn more and get started today!

RESOURCES These companies use cocoa from Kuapa Kooko SERRV International (distributes Divine in the US) Sam Tokheim, 1.888.294.9657, [email protected] www.serrv.org/divine Day Chocolate Company www.divinechocolate.com Get involved & learn more! Global Exchange Fair Trade Chocolate Campaign 415-575-5538, [email protected] www.globalexchange.org/cocoa Kuapa Kokoo Cooperative www.kuapakokoo.com

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Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Fair Trade Cocoa Farmers in Costa Rica: APPTA The APPTA Cooperative The Asociación de Pequeños Productores de Talamanca (APPTA), located in southeast Costa Rica, was founded in 1987 by a non-governmental organization called ANAI that wanted to help farmers in the Talamanca area. The 1,500-member cooperative joined the Fair Trade system in 1997 and has about 1,030 cocoa-producers, with about 25% women. APPTA aims to improve the standard of living of the member families, use sustainable agricultural methods, increase quality, and diversify both agricultural and industrial production so that members have income sources other than agricultural products. All members have decision-making ability through the General Assembly, which is governed by a smaller elected Board. Community members participate through Producers Committees and a community Board. Cocoa Production in APPTA Southeast Costa Rica offers an ideal growing climate and enough rain to guarantee the necessary water supply. The majority of APPTA’s members use organic methods and technical assistance programs have been set up to develop additional organic techniques and help more farmers learn to apply them. For example, APPTA has tried using a natural fungicide found in healthy, resistant cocoa pods to handle the common cocoa disease Monilia. Fair Trade provides added support for farming methods that are safe for the environment and public health by encouraging shade cultivation, composting, and minimization of chemical inputs, and offering a higher price for organic cocoa. The cooperative has especially high yields since it is so large. In 1998, Organic production totalled 150 tons in 1998 and 140 tons in 1999 while conventional production amounted to 20 tons in 1998 and 15 tons in 1999. The cooperative has been as successful in its marketing as it has in its production. During the 1998 and 1999 production seasons, the co-op sold all of its conventional cocoa in the domestic market. The cooperative also sold all of its organic cocoa in the international market in 1998 while all but 20 tons were sold internationally in 1999. Because the farmers are united in a cooperative, they have the power to negotiate higher prices than they could on their own and are insured fair individual returns. The Fair Trade Market Until very recently, all of APPTA’s sales took place

without Fair Trade terms because the cooperative had a good contract with a US company for their organic cocoa and there was no demand for their conventional cocoa in the Fair Trade market. APPTA began selling to the US Fair Trade market in 2002. This was an important step in ensuring their continued success because only Fair Trade guarantees a minimum price of $.80/pound under long-term contractsand access to credit. Fair Trade farmers are also required to reserve a portion of their revenues for social projects, ensuring that community development and technical training for farmers will always be possible. APPTA has always directed its revenues towards administrative and agricultural programs and set up a fund for social projects when they began to sell their cocoa through the Fair Trade system. Future Plans for APPTA APPTA’s advances into the Fair Trade market will clearly help the cooperative and the community to grow in many ways and realize more long-term benefits. However, in order to meet the needs of their families and community, APPTA’s producers must expand their Fair Trade market. To this end, the cooperative is working to increase their Fair Trade cocoa sales and obtain Fair Trade certification for their bananas. APPTA’s members clearly have a good understanding of how important these development would be. “The Fairtrade market…would contribute a lot to the improvement of the standard of living of all our associates and for the maintenance of the environment.” Juan Carlos Barrantes, production manager APPTA. Consumers who want to help APPTA’s producers and their community realize their vision for a better life can play a crucial role by buying Fair Trade cocoa and chocolate and encouraging more retailers and companies to offer it. See the resources below to learn more and get started today! RESOURCES This company uses cocoa from APPTA Dean’s Beans [email protected], www.deansbeans.com

Get involved & learn more! Global Exchange Fair Trade Chocolate Campaign 415-575-5538, [email protected] www.globalexchange.org/cocoa Fair Trade Labeling Organizations International

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Much of America’s Sweets Made Possible Through Slave Labor on Ivory Coast Knight Ridder News Service By Sudarsan Raghavan and Sumana Chaterjee June 25, 2001 (DALOA, Ivory Coast) -- There may be a hidden ingredient in the chocolate cake you baked, the candy bars your children sold for their school fund-raiser or that fudge ripple ice cream cone you enjoyed on Saturday afternoon. Slave labor. Forty-three percent of the world’s cocoa beans, the raw material in chocolate, come from small, scattered farms in this poor West African country. And on some of the farms, the hot, hard work of clearing the fields and harvesting the fruit is done by boys who were sold or tricked into slavery. Most of them are between the ages of 12 and 16. Some are as young as 9. The lucky slaves live on corn paste and bananas. The unlucky ones are whipped, beaten and broken like horses to harvest the almond-sized beans that are made into chocolate treats for more fortunate children in Europe and America. Aly Diabate was almost 12 when a slave trader promised him a bicycle and $150 a year to help support his poor parents in Mali. He worked for a year and a half for a cocoa farmer who is known as “Le Gros” (“the Big Man“), but he said his only rewards were the rare days when Le Gros’ overseers or older slaves didn’t flog him with a bicycle chain or branches from a cacao tree. Cocoa beans come from pods on the cacao tree. To get the 400 or so beans it takes to make a pound of chocolate, the boys who work on Ivory Coast’s cocoa farms cut 10 pods from the trees, slice them open, scoop out the beans, spread them in baskets or on mats and cover them to ferment. Then they uncover the beans, put them in the sun to dry, bag them and load them onto trucks to begin the long journey to America or Europe. Aly said he doesn’t know what the beans from the cacao tree taste like after they’ve been processed and blended with sugar, milk and other ingredients. That happens far away from the farm where he worked, in places such as Hershey, Pa., Milwaukee and San Francisco. “I don’t know what chocolate is,” said Aly. Americans spend $13 billion a year on chocolate, but most of them are as ignorant of where it comes from as the boys who harvest cocoa beans are about where their

beans go. More cocoa beans come from Ivory Coast than from anyplace else in the world. The country’s beans are prized for their quality and abundance, and in the first three months of this year, more than 47,300 tons of them were shipped to the United States through Philadelphia and Brooklyn, N.Y., according to the Port Import Export Reporting Service. At other times of the year, Ivory Coast cocoa beans are delivered to Camden, N.J., Norfolk, Va., and San Francisco. From the ports, the beans are shipped to cocoa processors. America’s biggest are ADM Cocoa in Milwaukee, a subsidiary of Decatur, Ill.-based Archer Daniels Midland; Barry Callebaut, which has its headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland; Minneapolis-based Cargill; and Nestle USA of Glendale, Calif., a subsidiary of the Swiss food giant. But by the time the beans reach the processors, those picked by slaves and those harvested by free field hands have been jumbled together in warehouses, ships, trucks and rail cars. By the time they reach consumers in America or Europe, free beans and slave beans are so thoroughly blended that there is no way to know which chocolate products taste of slavery and which do not. However, even the Chocolate Manufacturers Association, a trade group for American chocolate makers, acknowledges that slaves are harvesting cocoa on some Ivory Coast farms. A 1998 report from UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, concluded that some Ivory Coast farmers use enslaved children, many of them from the poorer neighboring countries of Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin and Togo. A report by the Geneva, Switzerland-based International Labor Organization, released June 15, found that trafficking in children is widespread in West Africa. The State Department’s year 2000 human rights report concluded that some 15,000 children between the ages of 9 and 12 have been sold into forced labor on cotton, coffee and cocoa plantations in northern Ivory Coast in recent years. Aly Diabate and 18 other boys labored on a 494-acre farm, very large by Ivory Coast standards, in the southwestern part of the country. Their days began when the sun rose, which at this time of year in Ivory Coast is a few minutes after 6 a.m. They finished work about 6:30 in the evening, just before nightfall, when fireflies were

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America’s Sweets (continued) beginning to illuminate the velvety night like Christmas lights. They trudged home to a dinner of burned bananas. If they were lucky, they were treated to yams seasoned with saltwater “gravy.” After dinner, the boys were ordered into a 24-by-20- foot room, where they slept on wooden planks without mattresses. The only window was covered with hardened mud except for a baseball-size hole to let some air in. “Once we entered the room, nobody was allowed to go out,” said Mamadou Traore, a thin, frail youth with serious brown eyes who is 19 now. “Le Gros gave us cans to urinate. He locked the door and kept the key.” “We didn’t cry, we didn’t scream,” said Aly (pronounced AL-ee). “We thought we had been sold, but we weren’t sure.” The boys became sure one day when Le Gros walked up to Mamadou and ordered him to work harder. “I bought each of you for 25,000 francs (about $35),” the farmer said, according to Mamadou (MAH-mah-doo). “So you have to work harder to reimburse me.“ Aly was barely 4 feet tall when he was sold into slavery, and he had a hard time carrying the heavy bags of cocoa beans. “Some of the bags were taller than me,” he said. “It took two people to put the bag on my head. And when you didn’t hurry, you were beaten.” He was beaten more than the other boys were. You can still see the faint scars on his back, right shoulder and left arm. “They said he wasn’t working very hard,” said Mamadou. “The beatings were a part of my life,” Aly said. “Anytime they loaded you with bags and you fell while carrying them, nobody helped you. Instead, they beat you and beat you until you picked it up again.” At night, Aly had nightmares about working forever in the fields, about dying and nobody noticing. To drown them out, he replayed his memories of growing up in Mali, over and over again. “I was always thinking about my parents and how I could get back to my country,” he said. But he didn’t think about trying to escape. “I was afraid,” he said, his voice as faint as the scars on his skinny body. “I had seen others who tried to escape. When they tried they were severely beaten.“ Le Gros (Leh GROW), whose name is Lenikpo Yeo, denied that he paid for the boys who worked for him, although Ivory Coast farmers often pay a finder’s fee to someone who delivers workers to them. He also denied that the boys were underfed, locked up at night or forced to work more than 12 hours a day without breaks. He said they were treated well, and that he paid for their medical treatment. “When I go hunting, when get a kill,

I divide it in half — one for my family and the other for them. Even if I kill a gazelle, the workers come and share it.” He denied beating any of the boys. “I’ve never, ever laid hands on any one of my workers,” Le Gros said. “Maybe I called them bad words if I was angry. That’s the worst I did.” Le Gros said a Malian overseer beat one boy who had run away, but he said he himself did not order any beatings. One day early last year, a boy named Oumar Kone was caught trying to escape. One of Le Gros’ overseers beat him, said the other boys and local authorities. A few days later, Oumar ran away again, and this time he escaped. He told elders in the local Malian immigrant community what was happening on Le Gros’ farm. They called Abdoulaye Macko, who was then the Malian consul general in Bouake, a town north of Daloa, in the heart of Ivory Coast’s cocoa- and coffee-growing region. Macko (MOCK-o) went to the farm with several police officers, and he found the 19 boys there. Aly, the youngest, was 13. The oldest was 21. They had spent anywhere from six months to four and a half years on Le Gros’ farm. “They were tired, slim, they were not smiling,” Macko said. “Except one child was not there. This one, his face showed what was happening. He was sick, he had (excrement) in his pants. He was lying on the ground, covered with cacao leaves because they were sure he was dying. He was almost dead. . . . He had been severely beaten.” According to medical records, other boys had healed scars as well as open, infected wounds all over their bodies. Police freed the boys, and a few days later the Malian consulate in Bouake sent them all home to their villages in Mali. The sick boy was treated at a local hospital, then he was sent home, too. Le Gros was charged with assault against children and suppressing the liberty of people. The latter crime carries a five- to 10 year prison sentence and a hefty fine, said Daleba Rouba, attorney general for the region. “In Ivorian law, an adult who orders a minor to hit and hurt somebody is automatically responsible as if he has committed the act,” said Rouba. “Whether or not Le Gros did the beatings himself or ordered somebody, he is liable.” Le Gros spent 24 days in jail, and today he is a free man pending a court hearing that is scheduled for June 28. Rouba said the case against Le Gros is weak because the witnesses against him have all been sent back to Mali. “If the Malian authorities are willing to cooperate, if they can bring two or three of the children back as witnesses, my case will be stronger,” Rouba said. Mamadou Diarra, the Malian consul general in Bouake, said he would look into the matter.

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America’s Sweets (continued) Child trafficking experts say inadequate legislation, ignorance of the law, poor law enforcement, porous borders, police corruption and a shortage of resources help perpetuate the problem of child slavery in Ivory Coast. Only 12 convicted slave traders are serving time in Ivorian prisons. Another eight, convicted in absentia, are on the lam. The middlemen who buy Ivory Coast cocoa beans from farmers and sell them to processors seldom visit the country’s cocoa farms, and when they do, it’s to examine the beans, not the workers. Young boys are a common sight on the farms of West Africa, and it’s impossible to know without asking which are a farmer’s own children, which are field hands who will be paid $150 to $180 after a year’s work and which are slaves. “We’ve never seen child slavery. We don’t go to the plantations. The slavery here is long gone,” said G.H. Haidar, a cocoa buyer in Daloa, in the heart of Ivory Coast’s cocoa region. “We’re only concerned with our work.” The Chocolate Manufacturers Association, based in Vienna, Va., at first said the industry was not aware of slavery, either. After Knight Ridder began inquiring about the use of slaves on Ivory Coast cocoa farms, however, the CMA in late April acknowledged that a problem might exist and said it strongly condemned “these practices wherever they may occur.” In May, the association decided to expand an Ivory Coast farming program to include education on “the importance of children.” And in June, the CMA agreed to fund a survey of child labor practices on Ivory Coast cocoa farms. Finally, on Friday, the CMA announced some details of the joint study, which will survey 2,000 cocoa farms in Ivory Coast. “Now we are not debating that this is true,” CMA President Larry Graham said Friday when asked about cocoa farm slavery. “We’re accepting that this is a fact.” Ivorian officials have found scores of enslaved children from Mali and Burkina Faso and sent them home and they have asked the International Labor Organization,

a global workers’ rights agency, to help them conduct a child labor survey that’s expected to be completed this year. But they continue to blame the problem on immigrant farmers from Mali and on world cocoa prices that have fallen almost 24 percent since 1996, from 67 cents a pound to 51 cents, forcing impoverished farmers to use the cheapest labor they can find. Ivory Coast Agriculture Minister Alfonse Douaty calls child slavery a marginal “clandestine phenomenon” that exists on only a handful of the country’s more than 600,000 cocoa and coffee farms. “Those who do this are hidden, well hidden,” said Douaty (Doo-AH-tee). He said his government is clamping down on child traffickers by beefing up border patrols and law enforcement, and running education campaigns to boost awareness of anti-slavery laws and efforts. Douaty said child labor in Ivory Coast should not be called slavery, because the word conjures up images of chains and whips. He prefers the term “indentured labor.” Ivory Coast authorities ordered Le Gros to pay Aly and the other boys a total of 4.3 million African Financial Community francs (about $6,150) for their time as indentured laborers. Aly got 125,000 francs (about $180) for the 18 months he worked on the cocoa farm. Aly bought himself the very thing the trader who enslaved him had promised: a bicycle. It has a light, a yellow horn and colorful bottle caps in the spokes. He rides it everywhere. Aly helps his parents by selling vegetables in a nearby market, but he still doesn’t understand why he was a slave. When he was told that some American children spend nearly as much every year on chocolate as he was paid for six months’ work harvesting cocoa beans, he replied without bitterness: “I bless them because they are eating it.“ Raghavan reported from Ivory Coast and Mali, Chatterjee from London, Chicago and Philadelphia. Researcher Tish Wells contributed to this article. Sudarsan Raghavan’s e-mail address is [email protected].

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Best of the Best New Internationalist August 1998 Why Ghana’s cocoa farmers are no longer content to be used as pawns in the international cocoa-marketing game, and are building their community organization and fair trade instead. The headquarters of Kuapa Kokoo are on a tree-lined street near the main stadium in the Ashante capital of Kumasi — Ghana’s second-largest city and the heart of cocoa country. Its offices occupy the two floors of a large villa-like building. The number of comings and goings is a good hint that this is where a lot of the cocoa action in town takes place. Despite the obvious busyness, this is no stuffy office. Cocoa farmers sit around chatting, and some have spent the night on the floor of a large sleeping room — testament to the comfort and sense of ownership of Kuapa members. Kuapa has several faces. It is at once a farmers’ union, a cocoa-purchasing company and a trust fund for its members. It started back in 1993 when Nana Jampon, a far-sighted farmer’s representative on Cocobod, realized that the partial privatization of internal purchase might leave cocoa farmers at the mercy of unscrupulous private companies. He feared a return to the bad old days when traders and moneylenders preyed on defenseless farmers. The best way to avoid this, he surmised, was for the farmers to organize themselves to collect, sell and profit from their own cocoa. To do this the union had to set up its own purchasing company, as under Ghanaian company law it was illegal for a cooperative to buy cocoa. Asamoah and I make our way to the office of Nana Anson, who is the Society Development Officer of Kuapa. A local society is the basic building block of Kuapa and can vary from dozens to hundreds of members. When it started, Kuapa had 22 local societies — that has now mushroomed to 160. Nana Anson estimates that there are 30,000 members spread right across Ghana’s cocoa belt. Anson is a short, balding man of formidable intellect — Nana is the Ashante designation for a traditional chief. He has the tactical and strategic sense to blend the desirable and the possible without giving up either. This is crucial for fledgling grassroots organizations such as Kuapa, which needs to avoid becoming a voice in the

wilderness or falling into business-as-usual cronyism. He spends a good deal of time on the road, strengthening existing societies or establishing new ones. He balances a passionate commitment to the cocoa farmers’ cause with caution based on his knowledge of the importance of the annual crop to the whole country: ’Ghana has developed on the back of the cocoa farmer: roads, hospitals, schools, everything comes from cocoa.’ It is ironic that it is the structural-adjustment program, so unpopular throughout Ghana, that has given the space for Kuapa to exist. It forced Cocobod to give up its monopoly on internal purchase, allowing the farmers themselves to take over this function. Nana Anson is optimistic that the Cocobod will keep its word and allow the producer price to rise to 55 per cent or even 60 per cent of the international price soon. But, while he shares the farmers’ enthusiasm for increased prices, he is cautious about the total liberalization of cocoa marketing that is being pushed by the World Bank and the IMF. He points to other countries in West Africa, such as Cameroon, Nigeriaand — to a lesser extent — Côte d’Ivoire, where opening up cocoa purchase and export to external companies has led to a perilous deterioration in quality and a rush for quick profits. ’Ghana produces the best cocoa in the world and we get a premium on the price. It is the Cocobod’s Quality Control Division that is largely responsible for maintaining these standards,’ he cautions. He is also quick to underline other deleterious effects of adjustment policies on farmers, such as the collapse of a once-vital rural-credit system, due to reforms imposed under the IMF-imposed Financial Sector Adjustment Programme. Most farmers can no longer meet the stringent criteria for collateral demanded by the banks and end up either without vital credit, or borrowing from private moneylenders and purchasing companies at rates of up to 100-per-cent interest. ’This is exactly what had happened to Moussa back in Camp,’ says Asamoah. It is not hard to figure out the attraction Kuapa has for Ghana’s cocoa farmers. Not only do they run their own show, but it’s a much better deal. This past year, for example, Kuapa paid an extra 500 cedis per bag over and above the Cocobod price. An additional 300 cedis per bag went into the coffers of the local societies. At the end of the year four representatives from each soci-

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Best of the Best (continued) ety — two women and two men — come to Kumasi for a big meeting to divide up the year’s profits. In the last two years this has amounted to 700 cedis per bag. With the cedi hovering at about 2,300 per US dollar, this may seem like small potatoes — but for a hard-pressed farmer it can make a big difference. About 11 per cent of Kuapa’s output is sold to fair-trade organizations in Europe — these include Gepa in Germany and Coopéracion in Switzerland, as well as the Body Shop, which uses fair-traded cocoa butter in its line of natural cosmetics. The British-based fair-trade organization, Twin Trading, helps orchestrate these arrangements. However, they are by no means assured, as I learn when I meet the no-nonsense Managing Director of the buying company. He expresses some fear that fair-trade organizations may not buy the full amount of cocoa that Kuapa has allotted for them this year. On what they do purchase, these fair-traders return a premium to Kuapa which varies from 10 to 20 per cent of the world price. The percentage goes up as the price drops and goes down as it increases, to compensate for speculative market fluctuation. I assume that this premium goes right back to the farmers, but am pleasantly surprised when Nana Anson explains to me that it goes into a trust fund to support community infrastructure. ’Already $246,000 has been accumulated and, starting this March, proposals will be taken from different communities for such things as health centres, water boreholes, improvements to schools and credit schemes.’ Asamoah is quick off the mark to mention an upgrade for the school building and a loan scheme to help bankrupt farmers as potential Camp projects. It is interesting that Kuapa members have opted for funds to go for common welfare rather than to support individual farmers. Kuapa has also recently hired a sustainable-agriculture officer to teach integrated pest management, and a gender-and-development officer to ensure the empowerment and financial well-being of women members. Nana Anson points out that a large number of farmers can no longer afford expensive imported pesticides, now that adjustment policies have removed price subsidies. Cocoa is, worldwide, one of the most highly sprayed of all food crops. So going at least partially ’organic’ is a practical as well as a philosophical step. Also, organic is popular with the fair-trade organizations who need ’papa

paaa...’ — which, as both Asamoah and Nana Anson drown each other out to remind me, means ’best of the best’. The license plates of all the Kuapa trucks have papa paa neatly inscribed under each plate number. I worry out loud that the ageing farmer population — most are in their sixties or seventies — plus a liberalized market situation may result in the sale of farm land and the centralization of cocoa production in much larger units. Nana Anson expresses scepticism that this would ever happen. His faith is based on the importance of cocoa farms to the rural culture of Ghana. ’I cannot imagine a farmer, whose inheritance and personal security and even sense of self are tied up with the cocoa farm, ever walking away from it. We try and encourage cocoa farmers to think about their farms in a businesslike manner, but most farmers still regard them primarily as a way of life.’ It is one of the strengths of Kuapa that, while it works to strengthen the economic position of farmers, it is also dedicated to defending and improving this way of life by empowering farmers and protecting the environment in which they work. Once we leave Kumasi and make our way back to the coast and Accra I get a further sense of Asamoah’s commitment to Kuapa. It is the night we are finally to fly to Britain and we are having supper at the house of one of Asamoah’s former students, who is now in business in Accra. He is one of the people who has fared well in Ghana’s new market-friendly economy. With typical Ghanaian hospitality and allegiance to extended family, his new house has become at least a temporary living space for some 14 or 15 people. Among the temporary residents is his brother — a cocoa farmer from the Western region. As we sit around the compound yard in the twilight, Asamoah explains to the brother why he is going to London. The conversation is now in Twi and the speed and intensity of discussion precludes translation. Asamoah waves an issue of the NI on fair-traded coffee and gesticulates about how little both coffee and cocoa farmers make from the final consumer price of their product. When the conversation quiets down I ask Asamoah for a brief translation. He indicates thebrother and says: ’He used to sell some of his cocoa to Kuapa, but most to the Cocobod. But now he will sell it all to Kuapa.’ He proclaims, with the pride of an evangelist amongst a flock of new converts: ’I have convinced him.’ If Asamoah is anything to go by, Kuapa will be a force to be reckoned with for a long time to come.

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Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Action Pack Where to Learn More About... (see our website for news updates and a more extensive resource list, many available for downloading) Labor conditions, world trade, and Fair Trade Chocolate Manufacturers Association of America. Global Chocolate Industry Plan to Combat Abusive Child Labor. Vienna, VA: CMA. 2001. Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International. Fairtrade Standards for Cocoa. Bonn, Germany: FLO 2001. Grout, Phil. Harvest of Hope. 2003. (Available through SERRV International, www.serrv.org) International Labor Organization. Combating Child Trafficking in West and Central Africa, World of Work. Geneva: ILO. 2001. International Institute of Tropical Agriculture. Child Labor in the Cocoa Sector in West Africa: A synthesis of findings in Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Nigeria. Croydon, UK: IITA. August 2002. New Internationalist. Best of the Best. New Internationalist. August 1998. Raghavan, Sudarsan and Chatterjee, Sumana. Nearly hidden, slavery on Ivory Coast cocoa farms is easy to miss. Knight Ridder News Service. June 25, 2001. Raghavan, Sudarsan and Chatterjee, Sumana. Much of America’s Sweets Made Possible Through Slave Labor on Ivory Coast. Knight Ridder News Service. June 25, 2001. Ransom, David. The No-Nonsense Guide to Fair Trade. New Internationalist/Verso. 2001 US Department of State. Cote d’Ivoire, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Washington, DC: US Department of State. 2001. Woods, Brian and Blewett, Kate. Slavery, A Global Investigation. London, England: True Vision Productions. 2001. [Video] Educational Resources Global Exchange Children’s Activity Books, Action Guides & Extensive List of Resources www.globalexchange.org/cocoa/chocolatekids.html La Siembra (Canada) www.lasiembra.com/ Day Chocolate Company (UK) http://www.dubble.co.uk/, www.divinechocolate.com/edu.htm Fairtrade Federation UK www.fairtrade.org.uk/education.htm Many more listed at www.globalexchange.org/cocoa/resources.html

History, Processing, & Basic Facts Chicago Field Museum of Natural History Chocolate Exhibit www.fmnh.org/Chocolate/exhibits.html Exploratorium Chocolate Exhibit www.exploratorium.edu/chocolate ICCO Q&A on Cocoa and Chocolate www.icco.org/menuqa.htm

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Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Action Pack Other Groups to Contact FAIR TRADE GROUPS TransFair USA 1611 Telegraph Ave Oakland, CA 94612 510.663.5260 [email protected] www.transfairusa.org

La Siembra Cooperative 613.235.6122 [email protected] www.lasiembra.com GROUPS WORKING TO END CHILD SLAVERY, CHILD LABOR, & ABUSIVE LABOR IN THE COCOA INDUSTRY

SERRV International 500 Main St, P.O. Box 365 New Windsor, MD 21776 1.888.294.9657 [email protected] www.serrv.org

AFL-CIO Solidarity Center 1925 K Street, NW #300 Washington, DC 20006 202.778.4500 www.aflcio.org

Coop America 1612 K St. NW, Suite 600 Washington, DC 20006 202.872.5343 [email protected] www.coopamerica.org

Child Labor Coalition 1701 K St. NW, Ste. 1201 Washington, DC 20006 202.835.3323 [email protected] www.stopchildlabor.org

Fair Trade Federation 1612 K St., Suite 600 Washington, DC 20006 202.872.5329 [email protected] www.fairtradefederation.org

Free the Slaves 1326 14th St., NW Washington, DC 20005 202.588.186 [email protected] www.freetheslaves.net

Fair Trade Resource Network PO Box 33772 Washington, DC 20033-3772 202.302.0976 [email protected] www.fairtraderesource.org

International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) 5 Boulevard du Roi Albert II, Bte 1 1210 Brussels, Belgium +32 02 224 0211 [email protected] www.icftu.org

Oxfam America 26 West Street Boston, MA 02111 617.482.1211 [email protected] www.oxfamamerica.org Save the Children Canada 141 Yonge Street, Suite 300 Toronto, Ontario M2P 2A8 416.221.5501 or 1.800.668.5036 [email protected] Day Chocolate Company www.divinechocolate.com

International Labor Rights Fund 733 15th Street NW, #920 Washington, DC 20005 202.347.4100 [email protected] www.laborrights.org

National Consumers League 1701 K St., N.W., #1200 Washington, D.C. 20006 202.835.3323 [email protected] www.nclnet.org GROUPS WORKING FOR FAIR TRADE WITH AFRICA Advocacy Network for Africa/Africa Action 110 Maryland Ave NE #508 Washington, DC 20002 202.546.7961 www.africaaction.org Africa Faith and Justice Network 3035 4th Street, NE Washington, DC 20017 202.832.3412 [email protected] www.afjn.org Africa Trade Policy Working Group 212 East Capitol Street Washington, DC 20003 202.547.7503 [email protected] www.woaafrica.org GROUPS PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE COCOA FARMING Rainforest Alliance 65 Bleecker St, New York NY, 10012 212.677.1900, 1.888.MY EARTH [email protected] www.rainforest-alliance.org

Int’l Union of Foodworkers CH-1213 Geneve/Petit-Lancy 2 Switzerland, Rampe du PontRouge 8 (41-22) 793.22.33 [email protected] www.iuf.org.uk

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Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Action Pack Fair Trade Resources from Global Exchange Children’s Fair Trade Activity Books. By Global Exchange. 2002. GradesK-2 and 3-6. Our coloring/activity books teach children in grades K-2 and 3-6 about the cocoa industry and how to take positive action. Printed and bound copies are available for $7 each. Free PDF versions can be downloaded from www.globalexchange.org. To order, send your payment to Global Exchange ATTN: Melissa Schweisguth, call 415-575-5538, or e-mail [email protected]. PDF Documents at Global Exchange’s Web Fair Trade Chocolate Campaign Flyer Fair Trade Chocolate Campaign Action Pack Bitersweets: Life on Cocoa Farms Fair Trade cocoa and the Environment Fair Trade cocoa in Belize Fair Trade cocoa in Bolivia Fair Trade cocoa in Costa Rica Fair Trade cocoa in the Dominican Republic Fair Trade cocoa in Ecuador Fair Trade cocoa in Ghana Petitions and letters to M&M/Mars Research reports on conditions on cocoa farms

All of the following available from Global Exchange’s on-line store 800-497-1994x237 (phone), 415-255-7498 (fax) [email protected] www.globalexchange.org/store We Need to Go to School: Voices of the Rugmark Children. Complied by Tanya Roberts-Davis In their own words and drawings, Nepalese children talk about their early years in poverty-stricken villages, their work as virtual slaves in carpet factories in Kathmandu, and how they felt when they were given a chance to attend school and pursue their dreams for the future. ($19.95)

No Nonsense Guide to Fair Trade. Ed. David Ransom. 2001 (144 p). Fair Trade primer that offers chapters on NAFTA, Fair Trade coffee, chocolate, and bananas, blue jeans, where to buy Fair Trade goods, and more. ($10)

The No Nonsense Guide to Globalization. 2001 (144 p). This book traces the journey towards a 'borderless' world and shows how the promise of globalization is seductive, powerful - and ultimately hollow. Chapters include a history of globalization, the Bretton Woods Trio, 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 and the WTO on Third World Countries. Martin Khor, Vandana Shiva, Walden Bello, Oronto Douglas, Sara Larrain, & 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 authors show how trade agreements fail to benefit the Third World or the poor, and have created extra burdens. ($15)

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Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Campaign Action Pack Fair Trade Resources from Global Exchange Take It Personally. How to Make Conscious Choices to Change the World. Anita Roddick. 2001 (256 p).

AND... • Fair Trade chocolate, hot cocoa, and cocoa • Chocolate lover's gift baskets

Anita Roddick presents a vibrant collection of photographs, essays, montages, and quoted on the driving issues behind globalization from impassioned writers and activist organizations. This is the definitive handbook for anyone who wants to learn about the issues and make informed choices. ($24.95) Global Uprising: Confronting the Tyrannies of the 21st Century — Stories from a New Generation of Activists. Neva Welton and Linda Wolf. 2001 (273 p). In a world of mounting turmoil and violence, understanding the sources of increasing discontent at a global level is a great need. Global Uprising gives voice to more than 60 inspiring and diverse activists who are all standing up against this violence ($19.95) Artisans and Cooperatives: Developing Alternative Trade for the Global Economy. Eds. Kimberly M. Grimes & B. Lynne Milgram. 2000 (208 p). Bringing together case studies from the Americas and Asia, this collection addresses the interplay between craft production and the global market. It contributes to current debates on economic inequality by offering practical examples of relevant political, economic, and cultural issues. ($19.95)

Photo Credits p. 1, 31,32 Fair Trade Foundation UK p. 1,2,19,24,27,42,45 Melissa A Schweisguth/Global Exchange p. 23 True Vision Productions p. 29 Peter McFarren p. 30 University of Texas Library on-line p. 33 Phil Grout/SERRV International p. 43,44 David Hanks/Global Exchange

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Global Exchange is an international human rights organization dedicated to promoting environmental, political and social justice. Since our founding in 1988, we have increased the US public’s global awareness while building partnerships among peoples around the world.

This How-To Guide can be downloaded for free at www.globalexchange.org/cocoa.

To order copies of this How-To Guide for a $5 donation, e-mail [email protected] or call 415-575-5538.

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