Essay:
With 7.2 million tons of chocolate consumed in 2009 alone, and an estimated total of 100 billion dollars generated by the chocolate industry, chocolate is one of the most popular, and one of the most profitable, food products in the world. However, the chocolate industry is one of the most unequal industries in the world, with a long history of slavery, extortion, and inequality.
Firstly, how is chocolate made? The production of cocoa dates back to 1100 BC, when the Aztecs cultivated cacao in Mexico, Central America and Northern South America. They crushed the cacao seeds and served it as a bitter, frothy liquid mixed with spices, wine, or corn puree, which they called Xocolatl.They believed it to increase strength and fertility.
Nowadays, chocolate has changed from a bitter drink into a sweet substance, and the production of it has changed dramatically too. Cacao beans are removed from cacao trees by workers on the ground, and are then fermented in earthen pits or wooden bins and covered with banana leaves. The heat from the fermentation …show more content…
As discussed earlier, there are many problems associated with the fair trade industry, and many, if not most of the larger problems can be solved by fair trade. Fair trade ensures no child labour is used, and also ensures secure profit and stable returns for farmers and workers.
However, the Fair Trade process isn’t perfect, and has multiple flaws.
Firstly, not all ingredients in a Fair Trade chocolate bar have to abide fair trade regulations and laws. For a chocolate bar to be “Fair Trade” and able to display the Fair Trade Logo, “Any ingredient that can be sourced on Fairtrade terms must be.” (Barbara Crowther, The Fairtrade Foundation’s Director Of Policy And Public Affairs). This includes things such as vanilla sugar, and cacao beans. However, other ingredients such as milk, emulsifier, vegetable flavourings and flavourings are not made according to Fair Trade
With 7.2 million tons of chocolate consumed in 2009 alone, and an estimated total of 100 billion dollars generated by the chocolate industry, chocolate is one of the most popular, and one of the most profitable, food products in the world. However, the chocolate industry is one of the most unequal industries in the world, with a long history of slavery, extortion, and inequality.
Firstly, how is chocolate made? The production of cocoa dates back to 1100 BC, when the Aztecs cultivated cacao in Mexico, Central America and Northern South America. They crushed the cacao seeds and served it as a bitter, frothy liquid mixed with spices, wine, or corn puree, which they called Xocolatl.They believed it to increase strength and fertility.
Nowadays, chocolate has changed from a bitter drink into a sweet substance, and the production of it has changed dramatically too. Cacao beans are removed from cacao trees by workers on the ground, and are then fermented in earthen pits or wooden bins and covered with banana leaves. The heat from the fermentation …show more content…
As discussed earlier, there are many problems associated with the fair trade industry, and many, if not most of the larger problems can be solved by fair trade. Fair trade ensures no child labour is used, and also ensures secure profit and stable returns for farmers and workers.
However, the Fair Trade process isn’t perfect, and has multiple flaws.
Firstly, not all ingredients in a Fair Trade chocolate bar have to abide fair trade regulations and laws. For a chocolate bar to be “Fair Trade” and able to display the Fair Trade Logo, “Any ingredient that can be sourced on Fairtrade terms must be.” (Barbara Crowther, The Fairtrade Foundation’s Director Of Policy And Public Affairs). This includes things such as vanilla sugar, and cacao beans. However, other ingredients such as milk, emulsifier, vegetable flavourings and flavourings are not made according to Fair Trade