What comes to mind when you think about chocolate? A candy bar at Halloween? Ice cream on a hot day?
For Ibrahim, a 12-year-old boy from the West African country of Ghana, chocolate is not about sweet treats; it is about bitter work. But if they did, we would learn that Ibrahim spends his days growing and harvesting cocoa beans, from which chocolate is made. We would also learn that he is just one of more than two million children who perform this difficult labour instead of attending school.
To change the harmful practices like this, some farms use an approach called Fairtrade. It aims to create a different relationship between buyers (chocolate companies) and sellers (cocoa farmers) by encouraging farmers to join together to form a shared business called a cooperative. Because farmers work together instead of competing with each other, they can demand a higher price from the buyers.
Consumers like you can play a role as well. You can buy Fairtrade chocolate if possible, pressure candy companies to change their labour practices, or ask local stores to sell Fairtrade products. It is a programme recognizing schools that provide Fairtrade products in cafeterias or include related lessons in curriculum (课程).
Chocolate has a hidden story that affects children like Ibrahim—children who want a happy future just like you do. By enjoying Fairtrade products or simply spreading the word, you can make chocolate as sweet for all children as it is for you.
A. You have the power to change the story.
B. The labels on chocolate do not tell his story.
C. Fairtrade is a way of doing business that prohibits child labour.
D. You can also take action through the Fairtrade Schools network.
E. On many farms, children like Ibrahim perform difficult farming tasks.
F. Cocoa trees grow in the tropical climates of Africa, Latin America and South-East Asia.
G. With more income, farmers can pay adult workers and can send their children to school.
