Cocoa factfile
| Commodity |
Cocoa
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| Country | Ghana is a West African country with a population of 31,7 million.
Fairtrade commodities originating there include cocoa, banana, fruit and oils. |
| Background information | Chocolate is one of the UK’s favourite foods. |
| Social issues | Many cocoa farmers and cocoa farm workers live in extreme poverty.
In Ghana the earnings of most cocoa farmers are below the international extreme poverty line.
Low incomes threaten the future of cocoa: Around the world, youth are leaving cocoa farms for urban areas, while farmers and workers increasingly shift to other better-paying products, including illegal mining.
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| Environmental issues | Cocoa farmers are already experiencing the effects of the climate crisis, through unpredictable weather patterns, mainly due to increased number of hotter and drier days, increased temperatures and new crop-threatening diseases and pests.
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| Why is Fairtrade important?
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Fairtrade sets social, economic, and environmental standards for both companies and farmers and workers. For companies it includes paying a fair price for the produce, for farmers it includes workers’ rights and protection of the environment.
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| Where to buy Fairtrade bananas | Aldi, Alter Eco, Asda, Ben & Jerry, Clippers, Co-op, Deliciously Ella, Divine, Green & Black’s, Greggs, Guylian, Lidl, M&S, Maltesers, Mars, Morrisons, Oxfam, Tony’s Chocolonely, Vego, Waitrose, Whitakers amongst others. |