How long would you work for $1? Most likely, not that long. A dollar for the average adult in North America is pocket change (if such a thing exists anymore), an amount that we toss around more or less mindlessly. It’s certainly not enough to make us want to do our jobs for a whole day.
And yet, for thousands of cocoa farmers in West Africa, that’s all they earn for a full day’s work. Sometimes it’s even less, as little as $0.78. This minuscule amount, which falls below the international poverty line, is certainly not enough to provide a basic standard of living, and that is why so many cocoa farmers are struggling to get by.
Fairtrade America wants this to be different. The organization, described as “the world’s most recognized label for social justice and sustainability,” has launched a campaign called “It’s Only Fair” that kicks off with three short videos urging Western shoppers to think about how downright absurd it is to expect someone to work for just $1 per day. You see a barber, a clown, and an esthetician all performing partial versions of their professional tasks, leaving customers bewildered.
The campaign explains why keeping cocoa farmers in dire poverty causes problems for everyone—and has a terrible long-term impact on the planet. What many people may not realize is just how dependent we are on small-scale production for chocolate. From a press release:
She describes how Fairtrade certification has helped her community. One profound shift is that farming is now respected as a profession: “People see farming not just as any job, but as a business that they are investing in. A lot of this is because of the numerous trainings through Fairtrade—taking farmers through finance training and job training. It has changed our society by giving farmers that knowledge, so they are confident.”
That knowledge extends from financial savvy to environmental stewardship. Osei-Mensah talks about water, and the fact that she’s now working on a Masters of Science in Environment, Water and Sustainability from the University of Energy and Natural Resources in Ghana.
Osei-Mensah lists sustainability as the biggest challenge faced by cocoa farmers today. She uses the word in both a financial and environmental context. Without a living wage, farmers will look for something else to grow that’s more profitable than cocoa. “We will get to a time where they will no longer produce because they feel they can use their land for another business, or sell their land to a factory owner and get more profit for it.”
What Can Be Done?
The hope, of course, is that chocolate consumers will pay more for the treats they enjoy, while keeping producers in mind. This is reasonable, considering that a recent study found that Americans are willing to pay up to 30% more for a bar of chocolate that they know has treated the farmer well. But now it’s a matter of putting that into daily action by adjusting consumer habits.
Peg Willingham, executive director of Fairtrade America says it’s more important than ever to listen to farmers and workers from around the world. “As we continue to face inflation, we must consider those who make less than $1 per day producing the goods we often take for granted in the U.S. and how they are experiencing the same, and even worse, conditions.”
Willingham hopes the campaign videos “bring positive awareness to the need to pay farmers a living wage.” Knowing it helps to preserve the environment for future generations may spur more chocolate lovers to choose a fairer deal.
You can support this campaign by spreading the word and looking for the Fairtrade logo on chocolate (and many other products) when shopping.
