Fairtrade’s mission to increase awareness of low cocoa farmer income continues in the run-up to World Chocolate Day (July 7) with the unveiling of a new celebrity-backed global campaign named Bitter Sweet, which features a stop-motion animation, ‘Unwrap a Fairer Future’, that the organisation says exposes “bitter truth behind unethical cocoa sourcing practices by some major chocolate manufacturers”.
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.
“We’re putting the important truth in people’s minds, making the bitter cost of each non-Fairtrade chocolate bar instantly apparent,” said Nilufar Verjee, Fairtrade’s Director of Public Engagement and Global Cocoa Campaign lead. “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.”
Injustice and low prices
Viewers watching the animation on the bitter bar will be transported to 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.
Bridgerton actor Adjoa Andoh, a long-time Fairtrade advocate, said: “Every bar of chocolate that you buy, every cocoa bean, means decent healthcare, education, a collective voice all the way through the supply chain. So today, if you can make that choice, choose Fairtrade. Make the choice for hope, a future and joy, through the delicious medium of chocolate. Happy Fairtrade World Chocolate Day!”
- The Fairtrade campaign will culminate with the debut of the “Bitter Sweet” film on World Chocolate Day, July 7, 2021.
