I had a wonderful breakfast this morning with Fatima and Harriet. They are cocoa farmers from Ghana, and they have come with the Divine chocolate company to tour the country during fairtrade fortnight.
We had a delicious mix of smoothies, yogurts, waffles with fruits of the forest and chocolate, bacon and mushroom butties infused with chocolate source, wonderful fresh juices and much more besides - a taste of heaven!
But the real treat was meeting these young female farmers - one Muslim, one Christian, united in the pursuit of equality and fairness in the market place. The theme of their tour is women's empowerment, and their story is living proof of the difference fairtrade makes. Kaupa Kokoo, the Ghanaian co-op that owns 45% of the Divine Chocolate company, employs tens of thousands of Ghanaians, and has steadily pushed up the quality of living. The social premium paid on fairtrade products mean clean water for villages, schools, healthcare, and improved social status for women.
All we have to do is make a change, a change to delicious fairtrade products and ethical cotton goods. It couldn't get any simpler than that!
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