This manual, produced by the Coordinadora Estatal de Comercio Justo, brings the concept of Fair Trade closer to young people aged 12-16 through activities focusing on responsible consumption and the social impact of products such as chocolate.
Aim of the educational manual for young people
The manual has been designed to facilitate work with young people. It aims to provide teachers and those involved in formal and non-formal education with a clear tool to address responsible consumption and the effects of our consumption choices.
Practical approach for the classroom
The handbook "Bringing Fair Trade to young people (12 to 16 years old)". is organised in four one-hour sessions, each with contents and dynamics to work with girls and boys from 12 to 16 years old.
The structure of the manual is divided into four steps:
- Do you know what responsible consumption is?
- What's behind a chocolate bar?
- What do you know about poverty and inequalities?
- Fair Trade as a consumption and production alternative
Each session includes introductory indicators and activities to make sense of the topic from close quarters, also incorporating dynamics that encourage personal reflection, critical thinking and debate among young people.
Chocolate as a common thread
Cocoa serves as a clear example to explain global production mechanisms and their social and environmental consequences.
The educational value of cocoa in the manual
Cocoa was chosen because its global production is a paradox: it is a multi-billion dollar business, while the majority of cocoa farmers live in poverty and cause serious environmental consequences such as deforestation. Cocoa thus serves as a powerful, tangible and relatable metaphor for understanding the dynamics of the system.
Results and scope of the training
This manual is part of an ongoing awareness-raising effort by the Coordinadora Estatal de Comercio Justo in schools throughout Spain.
Fairtrade Action in Figures
In 2019, 30,240 students and 835 teachers took part in workshops and training activities in 240 Spanish schools, demonstrating the impact and relevance of the project.
Institutional support for the educational project
The manual was supported by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, which facilitated its production by funding an essential tool to promote social justice and conscious consumption among youth.
Download the manual and annexes.
To facilitate the work of educators, the State Fair Trade Coordinator makes the complete manual and its complementary materials available free of charge. These resources include theoretical information, dynamics, questionnaires and support materials that allow you to work in a practical and participatory way on the concepts of Fair Trade and responsible consumption with adolescents.
These are the documents you can download:
All these materials are designed so that the sessions can be adapted to different contexts and levels of experience, encouraging critical thinking and the active involvement of students in the search for fairer and more sustainable consumption alternatives.
