The real cost of sugar

Sugar How many of these 10, do you think should represent the 4 key stages of sugar production? The farmers The shippers The factory The supermarket Invite 10 people up to stand in a line facing the rest of the school. These 10 people represent the sugar cane farmers, the shippers, the factory and the supermarket that are all part of the sugar production line. Pick someone to answer the question: sort the line of people accordingly. * You will need about 8 of each of the assembly roles printed for the 10 people to hold, as you won’t know how many people they will allocate to each role. (see the assembly roles document)

The real cost of sugar Sugar Explain that this bag of sugar costs just over £1.00. *A bag of sugar as a prop would work well here.

How do you think the £1.00 should be distributed? -Sugar is one of the most valuable agricultural commodities -Sugar cultivation is labour intensive *Ask the question and resort the 10 students at the front to represent the answer given. You could keep asking and then re-sorting until the majority feel happy with how it’s divided.

64% 27% 7% Farmers 2% Shippers Factory Supermarket Now resort to show the reality: 1 person represents both the farmers and the shippers 6 people represent the factory 3 people represent the supermarket 27% Supermarket

Why do you think the money is so unequally divided? Do you think this is fair? For the second question, ask them to raise their hands if they think it is unfair.

Many small scale farmers struggle to make a living. Sugar cane farmers only receive a small amount of what we pay for a bag of sugar. Many small scale farmers struggle to make a living. Most of the value is added through processing and marketing activities. The market is dominated my a handful of major multi-national corporations. *Sugar cane is grown Sugar cane is predominantly grown in tropical and subtropical regions. This information is based on sugar made from sugar cane. *The largest share of the retail price goes to processing, transport and retailing companies in developed countries.

Project Kamuli Meet Faridah, James and their three children: Tracy, Mugalu and Mebra

Faridah and James Sugarcane farmers from Kamuli, Eastern Uganda Have a one acre sugar cane farm But, they don’t have enough food to eat just one decent meal a day Sugar cane takes at least 18 months from planting to harvest They earn £125 from each harvest, which has to last them the whole 18 months

Sweet Swap Send a Cow is launching Project Kamuli to improve food, environmental and income security of small holder farmers, like Faridah and James. Throughout May your school could get involved in Send a Cow’s Sweet Swap. By swapping sugary treats for healthier options and raising money you can help farmers swap poverty for hope.

Sweet Swap Your school can take part by committing to give up sugar for a day or a week this May. Whatever your school is able to do, swapping to healthy alternatives will help farmers make a healthy living from their land.