When a cocoa farmer visited from Ghana, she told us how the men had to do more work under the Fair Trade system. Before Fair Trade, women and children harvested the cocoa while many men saw their roles as selling the cocoa and controlling the funds from the cocoa sales. With Fair Trade, children go to school. Many of the women divide their cocoa farms: half for themselves to farm and half for their husbands to do the same. Cocoa is sold through a cocoa cooperative, and husbands and wives each receive their own funds.
Fair Trade is holistic. Women, men, children, the environment, migratory birds and animals, and other local stakeholders are all taken into account. How fair is that?! Why don’t we make decisions that way in the Global North?!
Fair Trade is beautiful in its simplicity of requiring no laws – NO laws! – no international trade agreements, no nothing! It just requires you and me to complete the circle and purchase these goods.
Here’s a short video about Comfort Kumeah, the first female National Secretary of Kuapa Kokoo, a Fair Trade Certified cocoa cooperative in Ghana the sells to and owns part of Divine Chocolate, an Untours Foundation loan recipient.
This Mother’s Day, think Divine Chocolate for the moms and wonderful women in your life. Give thanks to Fair Trade for empowering women and girls!