Municipal Public Library in Piekary Slaskie has been implementing since 2018 a plan of action for people, the planet and prosperity Agenda for sustainable development 2030, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 2015. Therefore, the librarians have prepared and conducted a series of workshops for older children on the subject of sustainable development in a globalized world called “Bittersweet chocolate”. The aim of the workshop was to present the idea of fair trade by showing the impact of individual consumer choices on the situation of employees in the countries of the Global South.

During the classes, participants divided into groups performed different tasks: they were recognizing by smell the coffee, cocoa, vanilla, cinnamon, pepper hidden in opaque containers, also they were putting illustrations of products from the countries of the Global South on the world map in the countries where they are grown. Thanks to this, they realized that the products we use every day must travel thousands of kilometers.

Based on the film about the production of chocolate, they have learned how many people are involved in this process. One of the elements of the workshop was the task relying on the division of a printed chocolate bar between people who worked on its production and sales. Most of the children gave the most cubes of chocolate to the farmer, who in their opinion must work the hardest. It turned out that not everyone receives the payment they deserve.

The production of chocolate is a very profitable business, in which international companies derive very large profits, unfortunately at the expense of millions of cocoa farmers.

The task of each group was to draw a poster encouraging the purchase of Fairtrade products. All posters have been presented in our Gallery of the Young.

Workshops prompted participants to reflect on their own lifestyle and daily choices, which in the global context exert a positive or negative influence on the quality of life of people in other countries.