World Chocolate Day
World Chocolate Day is on 7 July
by Brian Radcliffe
Suitable for Whole School (Sec)
Aims
To explore our understanding of chocolate production and consumption.
Preparation and materials
- In the ‘Assembly’, Step 1, not everyone will say that they like chocolate. Be prepared to improvise with comments that these people do not have to suffer the moral dilemmas at the heart of the assembly!
- Have available an image of the Fairtrade logo, either on screen or on a product. An example is available at: https://tinyurl.com/cxb32te4
Assembly
- Ask the students, ‘Who here likes chocolate?’
Listen to a range of responses.
You may wish to initiate a discussion about the students’ favourite chocolate bars. - Ask the students, ‘How much do you like chocolate?’
Point out that there used to be a series of popular TV adverts based around the slogan ‘Do you love anyone enough to give them your last Rolo?’
The idea behind it is one many of us can empathize with: it’s hard to give away our last piece of chocolate, but we’ll do anything for that special person. You can even get the slogan embossed on a heart or turned into a piece of jewellery. - Chocolate comes in many varieties. There is plain, white, milk, salted, chilli-flavoured and nutty chocolate, to name a few, and chocolate is used as a covering for many types of biscuits, cakes and fruit, as well as in chocolate fountains for special occasions.
- Point out that many people’s mouths may now be watering as their taste buds are activated! Explain that the reason you’ve been talking about chocolate is because 7 July is World Chocolate Day.
- Tell the students that you want to explore three dilemmas related to chocolate, so you want them to engage their consciences.
The first dilemma is whether to share our chocolate. It can be hard to share something that’s so enjoyable, even to the extent of self-denial. However, we’ve already considered this one and it’s not a major issue. After all, we are lucky in that we can always buy some more another time.
There are two other dilemmas to consider when we make choices about chocolate, though: what it’s made of and where it comes from.
- What it’s made of. Chocolate mainly consists of fat and sugar. Fat contributes to weight gain and sugar can result in tooth decay. Chocolate can’t be part of our five a day, nor is it one of the building blocks of a healthy diet. It sounds like we’re better off without it.
- Where it comes from. Chocolate production throughout the world is not always ethical. Small, local producers are often paid very low prices for their harvest, barely living above the poverty line. In addition, to expand production, the temptation is to cut down more and more rainforest. This has led to deforestation becoming a factor in climate change. It sounds like the world would be better off without chocolate.
Time for reflection
Express that you hope that you haven’t spoilt World Chocolate Day for anyone, but it’s important to consider and address these dilemmas. Fortunately, there are some positive aspects to chocolate too. First, moderate amounts of certain types of chocolate products can be beneficial for us. Some chocolate encourages the brain to increase production of serotonin, which is a natural antidepressant. So, eating some plain chocolate that contains a high percentage of cocoa might make us feel happier . . . but we shouldn’t have too much.
Second, there are companies that have committed themselves to paying producers fairly and investing in their communities. We can easily identify them by the Fairtrade logo that’s printed on the packaging.
Show the image of the Fairtrade logo.
Fairtrade products are widely available in supermarkets and local shops, with Co-op being the first UK retailer to source all of its cocoa on Fairtrade terms. Fairtrade chocolate is not a niche market or more expensive, but it does require the consumer to cast more than a cursory glance at the package.
Let’s return now to our initial dilemma: do we love anyone enough to give them our last Rolo (or other type of chocolate)?
A willingness to deny ourselves and give pleasure to someone else is a sign of unselfish love in its purest sense. Maybe today we’ll see a few more examples of this sharing in school!
Here’s a song about one kind of chocolate bar. Other bars are available.
Song/music
‘Mars bars’ by The Undertones, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5elUkRT1Fc (2.10 minutes long)
Extension activities
- Invite the students to find out more about Fairtrade products. They could even look into setting up a Fairtrade stall in school.
- Invite the students to go on a chocolate hunt after school. Ask them to find examples of products marked with the Fairtrade logo and bring the wrappers into school tomorrow. They do not need to consume all the products at once!
