Consumers encouraged to recognise the connection between Fairtrade and better incomes for cocoa farmers in new "Bitter Sweet" campaign from Fairtrade Foundation, a member of the Sustain alliance.
.jpg "Image from Fairtrade Foundation")
Fairtrade unveiled a new celebrity-backed global campaign, named Bitter Sweet, that will feature a stop-motion animation, “Unwrap a Fairer Future,” that literally unwraps the bitter truth behind unethical cocoa sourcing practices by some major chocolate manufacturers. From July 1-7, 2021, this global campaign will reach people in 22 countries leading up to the film’s global debut across Fairtrade’s owned social channels on World Chocolate Day, July 7, 2021.
‘‘Unwrap a Fairer Future” is a specially commissioned film designed to reveal to consumers how their simple everyday shopping choices – such as choosing Fairtrade chocolate – can change the lives and futures of cocoa farmers and their communities. Produced by Fairtrade in collaboration with Niels Hoebers, the stop-motion animation film tells the story of two bespoke bars of chocolate. At first glance, both look good enough to eat, but once the wrapper is unpeeled, the bars tell two very different stories. Contrasting scenes are depicted in relief on the surfaces of the bars: one is stamped with bitter truths about trade injustice, while the other is imprinted with the sweet benefits of Fairtrade cocoa.
Viewers watching the animation on the bitter bar will be transported to the cocoa lands of West Africa, where uncertified cocoa farmers who are unable to grow their crop on Fairtrade terms face injustice and low prices, leading to poverty and deforestation that holds communities back. The film also shows a sweeter side: Fairtrade-certified cocoa farmers who benefit from rigorous independent standards, receive support to adapt their farming practices to meet those standards, and earn fair prices for their cocoa as a result.
Nilufar Verjee, Fairtrade’s director of public engagement and global cocoa campaign lead, said
“We’re putting the important truth in people’s minds, making the bitter cost of each non-Fairtrade chocolate bar instantly apparent. This is a captivating and highly shareable way to discover why cocoa farmers who grow the cocoa in our favourite chocolate bars deserve better incomes.”
The Bitter Sweet campaign began on 1 July with cocoa farmers sharing their own personal experiences. These messages are being followed by various Fairtrade global regions sharing information on social media channels about Fairtrade's impact, where to buy Fairtrade chocolate and how consumers can help by sharing with a friend. The campaign will culminate with the debut of the “Bitter Sweet” film on World Chocolate Day, July 7, 2021.
Published Monday 5 July 2021
Sustain: Sustain The alliance for better food and farming advocates food and agriculture policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals, improve the working and living environment, enrich society and culture and promote equity.
