MONTEBON - ASSIGNMENT 4

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Western University *

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1021B

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Anthropology

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Dec 6, 2023

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1021B: Assignment 4 Commodity Chain Analysis: Thinking Anthropologically About Chocolate Aim: The aim of the assignment is to review and apply key concepts in the anthropology of globalization. The key take away is economy and culture are deeply intertwined (not separate realms of human practice). Prepare: Start by watching the film El Cacao: The Challenge of Fair Trade (20 minutes). The film’s supplemental guide (attached below) may also prove useful. You may wish to cite it in your assignment. Exploring The Global Culture of Chocolate: Your task is to “think like an anthropologist” and take a holistic perspective on chocolate. This means thinking about the material conditions of production, but also the symbolic dimensions of creating a widely sought-after commodity. Begin by selecting a specific chocolate producer that advertises itself as ethical in some way (Fair Trade, Organic etc). Ideally, it would be one you have seen or tried. Options include:  Equal exchange  Camino  Giddy Yoyo  Theos 1 Next, imagine that you run an anthropological research firm. You want to convince a granting agency that they should fund you to research on chocolate. You are to design a “Research Proposal Brief” that outlines what you would plan to do and why. You do not have to solve or fix the chocolate industry, instead you have to communicate A. why this issue is important B. what an anthropological investigation would look like and C. how the study would be especially useful in moving towards a more equitable world. Here is a proposed framework for your brief: A. Introduction & background: This section tells us about the issue. Here is where you give some context on your selected company and 1 You can select one not on the list if you like.

the region/country they get beans from. We need a general anthropological overview of the place of production and the cultural- historical elements most relevant to your enquiry (200-300 words). One of the first organic chocolates in the world was produced by the French family business Kaoka. They take part in organic fair-trade with a concentration on cocoa, and they maintain total control over each step of the process, from cultivating the cocoa to purchasing it as chocolate. Kaoka works with approximately 4000 families and farmers to produce cocoa for their ethical chocolate and has operations in Ecuador, Peru, São Tomé, and the Dominican Republic. Arriving in Ecuador in 2000, the company was faced with the decline of Nacional cocoa, a rare variety of cocoa that only grows in Ecuador. A mass influx of diseases was at fault for this, having most of the cocoa farms turned into banana plantations. A hybrid called CC51 was also widely planted at this time which caused a dramatic drop in the fragrant quality of the Nacional cocoa. In Peru, Kaoka worked in the Ucayali region which was historically under the grip of drug traffickers and as a result, much coca was grown in the area. As a result of the intensive coca cultivation, the state of the soil deteriorated which affected the yield of cocoa as well as the growers’ incomes. São Tomé faced similar difficulties as Peru. The cultivation of cocoa had already been abandoned for many years because of the country’s state of economy when Kaoka arrived. Because of the steep fall in cocoa production and the very old age of their prior cocoa trees, growers' livelihoods were in danger. The program in the Dominican Republic is the only program that Kaoka was not responsible for building, as CONACADO (National Confederation of Dominican Cocoa Growers) was already established here. CONACADO consisted of 7 “blocks” or independent production units and Kaoka was able to gain a partnership under 2 of these blocks. B. Approach: How are you going to research the issue? Describe what methods you would use to carry this research out. What would do? Where would you go? Remember anthropology starts from communities and focuses on how those communities understand themselves. What will your fieldwork look like? What are the tools (concepts) that you think help understand this commodity? What kinds of information (cultural, historical, political, economic) will you connect to your fieldwork. Remember, fieldwork (participant

observation) means working with people . Their perspectives need to then be contextualized (connected) to larger conditions (state forms, global politics). Be very specific about methods and use at least two keywords from the list below plus two or more from another week’s material. (200-300 words) An issue that most of the countries share is the production of cocoa. Since the 1950s, the average yearly per capita consumption of chocolate in the United States has increased by more than three times, from 3 pounds to over 10 pounds (Aguillar, 2015), which places severe pressure on the cocoa industry to produce much more. There are two main factors that affect the production of cocoa, the farmers, and the land. In countries such as Ecuador and São Tomé where there were previous plantations already, conservation is key. I would work closely with the farmers and locals to restore the farms in efficient and sustainable manners. Eliminating people in the middle and working closely with the individuals involved would also benefit the relationship between the company and the farmers. As seen in the short film, farmers were getting taken advantage of by their own people employed by the Fair-Trade and I believe that running the company as a family business rather than a large organization keeps a tight knit, trusting community. An issue caused by the land can be seen in Peru, with the area previously being controlled by drug traffickers. Offering the locals with an opportunity to earn money that keeps their families out of harm’s way would be a solution to this issue. Kaoka worked with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to help promote the cultivation of cocoa replacing coca. Working on the restoration of the soil that were negatively affected by the coca farms also build a relationship with the locals in hopes of better yield resulting into better earnings. On a more global scale, I would keep the company as transparent as can be. Keeping an honest relationship between the producers on how much their cocoa is priced and selling in each country and discussing with them a fair price. Understanding and communication plays a major role in maintaining a good relationship so experiencing the farming first- hand is also necessary, so we are able to see from both perspectives.

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C. Conclusion: A summary that reinforces the focus and utility of anthropological research. (50-100 words) Particularly in today's society, anthropological research is quite significant. Anthropology may shed light on a variety of controversial problems with deep roots in history and background that may be obscure to others. As our ways of thinking and acting are then explained, having a basic understanding of people's origins and how they came to be helps us build relationships with one another. Human connection is how the world revolves, and it would be nearly impossible without anthropological research. References Aguillar, M. (2015). El Cacao. Our fair trade cocoa programs . KAOKA. (2022, June 10). Retrieved February 10, 2023, from https://www.kaoka.fr/en/our-organic-and- fair-trade-cocoa-programs/ Here is the rubric we will use to grade your work. A B C Cultural & historical context Brief gives a succinct summary of the place in question that is directly relevant to the issues Brief gives a summary of the place in question Brief is ahistorical or gives little information on the culture/economy/polit ics of place. Outline of the Issue Brief underscores the importance of the issue and gives accurate Brief describes issue and gives accurate data that speaks to the nature of Brief shows a partial understanding of links between commodity production and

data that speaks to the nature of the problem. the problem. cultural economy. Research plan Brief suggest research that is deeply anthropological in nature. There is a clear plan for fieldwork that would lead to important insights. Brief makes connections to course materials Brief suggests research that is anthropological in nature. Brief does not suggest how research will done. Research strategies do not show an understanding of an anthropological approach. Research focuses too narrowly on economic or psychological factors.

MONTEBON - ASSIGNMENT 4

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