The Clonakilty Fairtrade group is looking forward to Fairtrade fortnight, which will run this year from February 24 to March 8. ‘IChooseFairtrade – SheDeservesBetter!’ is the worldwide mantra for this Fairtrade fortnight, with a strong focus on cocoa, and especially on the particular role that women farmers play in the cocoa industry. Deborah Osei-Mensah is one such cocoa farmer, and she will visit Clonakilty, from Ghana, for a special event ‘Chocolate: from tree to bar’.
The event will take place in O’Donovan’s Hotel, on Friday, February 28 at 7.30pm and Deborah will be pairing up with local chocolate maker Allison Roberts to host an evening in celebration of Fairtrade cocoa. Cocoa is the main ingredient in chocolate, and during the evening we will taste and trace the chocolate journey, from cocoa trees in West Africa all the way to the Clonakilty studio of Exploding Tree Chocolate. This talk will incorporate a chocolate tasting and a full explanation of how chocolate is made. The evening will be of interest to anyone who likes the odd square of chocolate (which is possibly most of the population of Clonakilty!) and may be of additional interest to those wanting to learn more about ethical trade, or to local farmers; to discover the challenges facing cocoa farming in Ghana.
Tickets are €8 and can be booked online at www.explodingtree.com/events/ or by ringing Allison at 085 757 4338. Schools are also encouraged to get in touch, as Deborah and Allison are available for visits. Check out Fairtrade fortnight at www.fairtrade.ie, and for local events keep an eye on local press and on our Clonakilty Fairtrade Facebook page. Don’t forget: choose Fairtrade!
