Introduction to Module 4 - The Cocoa Trade
Cocoa is the magic ingredient that forms the basis for what has become probably the most indulgent and addictive of all food products: chocolate. In the 18th century, Swedish naturalist Carolus Linnaeus named the mysterious cocoa plant Theobroma ('food of the gods') due to the reverence attributed to it by the Mayan and Aztec people of Central and South America. In Mexico, it served as a form of currency, was ground with chillies and corn to make a fiery beverage known as xocolatl, and was used by Montezuma, the King of the Aztecs, in the 16th Century as a strong aphrodisiac.
Sadly, today the trade and production of this legendary bean involves 14 million farmers who receive as little as US$30-$108 per household for a year. There are 284,000 children working in hazardous conditions on cocoa farms and up to 15,000 as slaves.
The issue of chocolate sharply reminds us of our need verses our wants. This unit focuses on issues of citizenship and responsibility. It also provides engaging ways to examine expenditure and economics in personally applicable ways.
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