Fair Trade in Action
Cocoa farmers in Ghana
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Lucy says, 'I am very happy: since I joined
Fair Trade I can afford to send my children to school'
Photo: Toby Adams/Oxfam |
Lucy Mansa is a cocoa farmer who makes her living by growing and
selling cocoa beans. She lives in a small village in Ghana called
Fenaso Domeabra.
Most of the cocoa beans grown in Ghana are sent to the UK and other
countries in Europe where they are made into chocolate. The price
farmers receive for their cocoa beans is often very low and few
of them can afford to buy chocolate.
Lucy and other farmers in her village used to have to sell their
cocoa to the Ghanaian government. They were often cheated and earned
very little money for their hard work.
Fair? Of course not. But what could she do?
Very little, until cocoa farmers in the same situation decided to
get together and form their own company.
They called their company Kuapa Kokoo, which means "good
cocoa farmer." It has really helped Lucy and thousands of other
farmers. Kuapa Kokoo pays all its farmers a fair price for their
crop, in cash, and on time.
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Children washing their feet in the new
well
Photo: Toby Adamson/Oxfam |
Fair Trade
Farmers are getting even more benefits from selling some of their
cocoa to Fair Trade organisations. Cocoa from Kuapa is used to make
Rica Gold chocolate bars, on sale in many Oxfam shops.
The extra money that the farmers get from Fair Trade is put into
projects that benefit the whole community.
In Lucy's village of Fenaso Domeabra a new
well has been built.
More to do
But there are still lots of other cocoa farmers who aren't involved
in Fair Trade. They can't always afford to feed their children,
or send them to school. Cocoa farmers in Ghana will only get a better
deal if you make the decision to buy Fair
Trade products.
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