Naciones de chocolate: Vivir y morir por el cacao en África occidental

by Órla Ryan

Del grano a la barra, ¿sabes de dónde viene tu chocolate?

Órla Ryan revela las duras realidades económicas de nuestra golosina favorita: desde los miles de niños que trabajan en las plantaciones hasta los pequeños agricultores que cosechan los granos. En su vívida y fascinante exploración de las razones detrás de la pobreza de los campesinos, muestra cómo solo una pequeña fracción del efectivo que pagamos por una barra de chocolate regresa a los productores de cacao. También arroja una luz sobre lo que el Comercio Justo significa verdaderamente en la práctica. Provocativo y revelador, Naciones de chocolate expone la verdadera y cruel historia de cómo es posible que el dulce que más amamos logra llegar hasta nosotros, los consumidores.

Genres: Nonfiction, Africa, Economics, Food

180 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a comprehensive view of the chocolate industry, following the chain from African farmers to European consumers and explaining exactly why the cocoa farmers receive just 4% of the price of the average UK bar of milk chocolate. It's well written and well researched, mixing history with present-day politics to great effect, and illustrating it all with carefully chosen personal stories.

I thought the chapter on Fairtrade was a little, well, unfair. Fairtrade gives a guaranteed fair minimum price to farmers, and Ryan shows how in practice this is not making much of a difference right now, because general prices have risen and so other buyers are offering similar prices. But surely this misses the point - of course farmers can do better when prices are high, but what happens when prices plunge? Ryan says herself that before Fairtrade was introduced, cocoa prices had collapsed and thousands of farmers were on the breadline. Surely the value of Fairtrade is not in competing with other buyers in good times, but in providing a guarantee of sustainable earnings in bad times. Also, what about the possibility that having a large block of Fairtrade buyers offering higher prices will contribute to higher market prices in general? I'm perfectly willing to accept that Fairtrade is not a guarantee of ethical purity and that some of the celebrity-driven publicity is overblown, but I thought some of the value of the scheme was overlooked.

The other problem I had with the book was that the cover promised too much. The subtitle is "Living and Dying for Cocoa in West Africa" and the illustration is a cocoa pod packed with human skulls. On the back cover is a quote from Stephen Chan OBE saying that he "gave up eating chocolate years ago after seeing at first hand the exploitation that surrounds its production in Africa...It was about time a book like this was written."

So I was expecting a devastating exposé, full of shocking injustices and quite a lot of death. This book doesn't really deliver that, which is good news for the African cocoa farmer of course. I ended up feeling quite relieved that the masses of skulls never really materialised. But also I felt a little cheated every time I finished another chapter about pricing regulations and looked back at the cover. A more accurate subtitle for this book would be "Chocolate Nations: a detailed survey of supply and demand for cocoa and its effect on West African farmers." Of course, nobody would buy the book then except for cocoa traders and academics, and therein lies the problem.

I'm not saying that the book doesn't describe injustice - of course it does. What I'm saying is that, to me, it's not shocking. It's the same injustice that occurs in many other industries, the injustice of the rich using their power over the poor. Perhaps I should give up chocolate, but then I would also have to give up wearing shirts made from cotton, using a laptop containing coltan, and a lot of other stuff in which exploitation is inherent in the process by which raw materials make it from poor producers to me, the Western consumer. As George Orwell said 75 years ago, "Under the capitalist system, in order that England may live in comparative comfort, a hundred million Indians must live on the verge of starvation--an evil state of affairs, but you acquiesce in it every time you step into a taxi or eat a plate of strawberries and cream." While much has changed since then in political terms, with the dismantling of European empires and the establishment of independent governments, Orwell would find today's economic relations grimly recognisable from his own time. This book does a good job of explaining why, in a very fair and balanced way, without assigning much blame or suggesting many solutions. I would recommend it to those with a particular interest in cocoa/chocolate, or those wanting a detailed example of how the gap between rich and poor often increases through the economic forces inherent in the system we have chosen for ourselves.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

While Órla Ryan definitely addresses some important issues, Chocolate Nations is not quite the "shocking exposé" it promises to be. The subtitle of people "living and dying for cocoa" may be slightly accurate, but it is awfully exaggerated; Ryan spends more time discussing academic aspects of what has contributed to the conditions, such as how much smallholders were paid under various regimes. While still interesting, it is not what the book appears to be on the surface. The conditions that cacao famers face are not always quite as horrific as Ryan tries to make them out to be.

However, it is not the subject matter that is the problem. The book itself feels redundant, with nearly identical phrases scattered throughout the same paragraph. In one instance, I found two identical sentences right next to each other.

I had to read this for a class, but if I hadn't had to, I might have been tempted to not finish it. If this book were advertised more appropriately and had gone through a more extensive period of editing, I definitely would have enjoyed it more.

[Marley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good background to cocoa in origin, slightly outdated now

[Daniel Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, a Reuters reporter based in Ghana presents their observations about how the cacao industry in West Africa really works, focusing on Ghana and Cote D'Ivoire in particular.

Ch. 1 - Ghana is Cocoa - introduces the reader to the tremendous importance of cacao to the economy, finances, and livelihoods of so many people.

Ch. 1 - Cocoa Wars - focuses on the political, civil, and sometimes violent conflicts that have beset both nations and how that has affected the cacao industry.

Ch. 3 - Child Labour - analyzes the role of child labor, to what extent is it practiced, how is it perceived locally, why does it exist.

Ch. 4 - Follow the Money - focuses on corruption and intrigue, especially regarding the murder of a journalist.

Ch. 5 - From Bean to Bar - focuses on the work of Steve Wallace and the challenges with actually manufacturing chocolate in West Africa.

Ch. 6 - Fairtrade Myths and Reality - assesses the significance of Fairtrade in the grand scheme of things, as well as the factors that growers take into account when they decide how to sell to.

Ch. 7 - Trading Games - focuses on the role of cacao on the international market and how that affects the growers' bottom line.

Ch. 8 - Building a Sustainable Future - focuses on pests, climate, landuse, income, and other livelihoods that all threaten the future of the cacao industry in West Africa.

This book was really interesting, nuanced, and centered on the lives of the smalltime growers in West Africa, which is a perspective that is not often considered. I enjoyed reading this and would recommend this.

[Liliana Bachelder · Rating 3 out of 5]

books describes cocoa industry in Ghana and Cote D'Ivoire. REALLY needed a good editor as the author repeats facts and conditions over and over. On the other hand, it is a good intro to a significant commodity in West Africa.

[Tom Griggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good overview of a corrupt industry, but a somewhat superficial treatment of a very interesting topic... I would love to see what Tom Zoellner would've written about cocoa.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Irish journalist Órla Ryan cracks open the chocolate industry with a short book about the myriad of problems that circle its core, the western African nations of Ghana and the Ivory Coast, where the majority of the world's cocoa beans are grown. She delves into the messy politics, the black-on-black racism, the hatred of foreigners, constant military presence, the suppression of journalism, the violence of kidnap and murder, and child labour - all issues that have affected the industry at one time or another. She also dwells on the key reason that Fairtrade and other ethical labels were set up: why this industry worth $75 billion dollars a year puts profits mostly in the hands of chocolate manufacturers and middleman bureaucracies while the poverty of cocoa farmers continues. A few things have got better over the years, but there is still a lot to be done.

There are a few things lacking in this book. For a start, it's so short, it can do little but gloss over the facts, and doesn't always present a balanced view. It assumes that everything that appears to be a problem always is, and doesn't really look for alternative explanations or sufficient objective proof of its allegations. Second, it only concentrates on two countries producing chocolate and gives a bare mention of a few other locations around the world; it would be instructive to see a comparative study and go into more detail on the regional politics that have affected the industry so strongly. Lastly, it was published in 2011 - it's about time for an update. Although I suspect not much has changed, the book's jarring, sudden switch to an optimistic tone at the end alludes that maybe things will get better, even though it doesn't really present much in the way of workable solutions and most of its prior thesis suggests it will not. However, it would be nice to know what, if anything has worsened or improved.

Despite its shortcomings, the book carries an important message. Even though we have labels like Fairtrade that have brought attention to the issues surrounding chocolate production, most people are still woefully ignorant of these issues, and when you bring them up, clamp their ears shut or try to change the subject. Since chocolate is such a huge industry, and all of us buy it for ourselves or our loved ones several times a year, it affects us all, so it is our responsibility to know about it and through our knowledge and action, help those at the source whose very survival depends on it.

[Aboyowa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A captivating and interesting concept - exploring the behind the scenes of the cocoa industry and exposing the 'truth' behind FairTrade. This book however, fails to deliver on all that it promises.
It was great to learn about Ghana and the Ivory Coast and how intertwined their political histories and cocoa production are. The author also makes an attempt to present the cocoa story from different point of views and attempts to address controversial issues such as child labour in the cocoa industry, the effects that huge cocoa buying conglomerates have on producer's pay and the issue of corruption in the industry and thus censorship of journalists a la Guy Andre.

That being said, I found this book incredibly repetitive and lacking in hard evidence to support some of the arguments posed. The author's incessant use of direct anecdotal quotes simply was insufficient to back some of the more complex conclusions drawn such as the claim that speculators are heavily involved in the fluctuating price of cocoa - supporting this point with 'one analyst simply telling me that a wall of money has been rolled in to the commodities market in recent years'.

I believe that this book would have had more gravitas if it was shorter and more focused on the key points which it aimed to address and less on unnecessary chapters such as following the story of Wallace - I could hardly see the relevance of spending a chapter on this.

Overall, an easily accessible read - the author's writing style was appropriate for the target audience (general population) in my opinion and made for a quick read.

[Sarah Ensor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I reviewed this for SW in 2011 with another book on agriculture and food crisis.
I wasn't very complimentary about the book and should have been more critical of the publisher Pluto by then had gone from being a serious left wing publisher in the 1970s to an outlet for barely edited manuscripts, which required many authors to pay for publication.

Chocolate Nations described one end of the problems of the West African cocoa industry which involved hundreds of thousands of impoverished small farmers. The structural adjustments programmes of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank removed government training schemes and investment. Even replacement seedlings were too expensive for many, so ageing trees produced less every year and major chocolate manufacturers don’t want to operate in Africa. They want to buy the beans and ship them to factories close to their markets. There has been war and corruption and the author wrote relatively detailed critical examination of fair trade.

Now 15 years later, some chocolate companies advertise themselves as slavery-free. How's that for progress.

https://socialistworker.co.uk/sociali...

[Karla · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting review of information that is often not easily come by with regard to the chocolate industry. Two things I wish, one that it had a bit more of an edit as I found some things repetitive ( sometimes it seems even sentences were repeated) and that it also had an update to the version. I would like to know how the explosion of small artisan bar makers and large company takeovers/mergers have affected the situation.

[Wilfrid Guess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Africans are busy producing food they don't even eat...Foolish.

[Melissa Stebbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as part of the LibraryThing early reviewers program. I'd heard a little bit about the chocolate trade and the issue of child labour and slave labour associated with it through worldvision and our unshackled group at church so I was pleased to be able to get a copy of this book written by a journalist with first hand experience in West Africa.

Orla Ryan gives an excellent overview of the history of the chocolate trade and the politics and systems in these countries. As always power, the grabbing for and the holding onto, are a large motivation behind the injustices perpetrated in these countries. While fair-trade has been beneficial in some areas, the real answer in long term action and empowerment of the farmers who make a living growing chocolate. Highly recommended to gain further insight into a complex issue.

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to read this book for a class. I am in a book club and wish I had read it for that so I have someone to discuss this book with. Like a lot of the other reviews, I felt that this book could have been better written/better editing.

I seemed to get confused occasionally with contradicting ideas that the author observed or talked about. I just wanted to ask someone, is it this or isn't it?

I was expecting more of a war shed book so the description, I felt was deceiving. If your looking for answers, dont read this book. If you want to read on different aspects of an industry to think about, read this book.

[Carlos · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thought-provoking look at Ghana and Ivory Coast, which produce about two-thirds of the world's supply of cocoa beans, and the contributions, both good and bad, that the cocoa industry makes to the lives of the people of those countries. Ryan goes beyond superficial impressions to show how the cocoa trade developed in these countries and how a lack of government accountability and investment have prevented the producers from reaping all the benefits from their role in the chocolate industry.

[NoBeatenPath · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting, if slightly academic, look at a problem too often overlooked by those who eat chocolate - the terrible conditions and exploitation suffered by many (and many of them children) who are involved in the production of the chocolate that makes its way to supermarkets and stores throughout the world. While most people will continue to consume mindlessly, hopefully books like this one will get people thinking about what practices they are supporting with the food they choose to buy.

[Nina Chachu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting journalistic account of the cocoa sector in Ghana and Nigeria.