The Travel Snob

Visit Ivory Coast & Ghana in August and Help the Plight of Impoverished West African Cocoa Farmers. TRAVEL SNOB TRAVEL BLOG

West African cocoa farmers supply 75% of America’s cocoa, but have never tasted one of its sweetest byproducts, chocolate, in their lives. They can’t afford it. Most West African cocoa farmers live in primitive conditions and abject poverty - mud huts with grass roofing, dirt floors, no plumbing or electricity, no access to anti-malarial drugs or modern healthcare facilities. Even the $10 rubber boots that would protect them from stinging ants or dangerous snakes in the cocoa fields is beyond most workers' reach. Many of the village children work in the cocoa fields and their parents cannot afford to send them to school, and in some cocoa-producing areas, children work as slaves, beaten and kept locked up at night.

"The gross disparity between the suffering of the West African cocoa farmers, their children, and the current chocolate trading practices should give consumers pause for reflection,” says Tom Neuhaus, founder of Sweet Earth Organic Chocolates, Inc., one of a handful of certified Organic and Fair Trade chocolate companies in the US. The company's motto is Do No Harm to the earth or the farmers that supply their product & they offer a 100% guarantee that no unfair treatment of labor or harmful chemicals was used in the production of the cacao used in Sweet Earth chocolate. A portion of Sweet Earth Chocolate Bar sales is donated to Project Hope and Fairness, which Neuhaus founded to assist West African cocoa farmers and advocate for Fair Trade practices in cocoa producing nations. “We need to fight indifference and ignorance and get people on board with conscientious purchasing. Project Hope and Fairness raises awareness of the disparities and advocates for Fair Trade practices.”

To help further raise awareness, Neuhaus - a food science professor at Cal Poly University in San Luis Obispo, California - is organzing a trip from August 8-25, 2007 for 10 unique, adventurous travelers. The group will visit five cocoa farming villages in both Ghana and Ivory Coast, learning about cocoa farming & the history of chocolate, Fair Trade, and helping to better the lives of the impoverished farmers. In past years, proceeds donated from the sale of Sweet Earth chocolate bars and Project Hope and Fairness have helped replace rusted or broken tools, provided farmers with rubber boots to protect their feet from the elements & snakes, and the purchase of new scales that put the villagers in a position of power over middlemen who supply scales that often cheat on weight of product and thus payment to the farmers.  This year, each trip member is being asked to contribute $1000 to support the building of water closets (toilets); many villagers currently use the side of the road at night or the forest during the day, always wary of encounters with snakes or ants. Neuhaus has already kick-started the process by donating $1700 for the sister villages of Depa and Zereguhe where the water closets are now under construction. Plans are underway for water closets in the villages of Pezoan, Broguhe and Batteguedea.

• Trip dates: August 8-25, 2007
• Reservations & deposit deadline: April 20, 2007
• For more info, call 1.805.441.6727 or visit ProjectHopeAndFairness.org
• SweetEarthChocolates.com

.- The Travel Snob

Enjoy Your Africa Vacation Without Damaging the Environment on an Eco-Friendly Tour. TRAVEL SNOB TRAVEL BLOG

      

Although it's a fundamental source of income for almost every country in the world, many areas are now moving away from the traditional resort-based attractions of the past and towards a model that supports a region's economy, the local environment and community.  The days of the self-contained hotel complex, owned by overseas companies, are fast losing their appeal. 

BAOBAB Travel is a UK-based specialist eco-tour operator, born out of a combination of a love of Africa and travel, and a desire to actively work with and support local communities in the Developing World. Their philosophy is to promote an ethical and responsible form of tourism that benefits both the economic and environmental sustainability of its local surroundings, while offering original and more satisfying vacations.

To find out more about the impact of eco-tourism, visit BaobabTravel.com.

- The Travel Snob

See the World through New Eyes with an Inspirational, Education Trip Organized by Ubiquity International. TRAVEL SNOB TRAVEL BLOG

Visit Europe, Berlin, Prague, Vienna or Bratislava. Explore the Paris Gastronomique tour with Chef Tyler Stone. Join cultural specialist Thomas Talboy, Ph.D. Classics and founder of Ubiquity International, in Northern Greece, Eastern Europe, Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre and Milan. "Italy, Spain, France and Greece are solid standards in our program," explains Talboy about Ubiquity's 2007 tour slate which offer tour participants a unique way to experience different languages, art, history and culture of the world through international travel. "At Ubiquity International, we see to it that travelers fully indulge the local flavor of a given destination from the ground-up, not only from a bird's eye view. Travel involving language, art, history and culture is our passion and we look forward to each new opportunity to share this excitement with others. Our 2007 line-up takes the traveler to exciting new reaches of European discovery. If you have ever wanted to visit Prague or Bratislava but were unsure, now is the time to go. Experience it with us. We have the same standard of excellence in all of our tours." The 2007 program starts with a tour Talboy has wanted to lead for some time: London, Bristol and the South of England. "There is so much rich history is that small swath, but it is often overlooked," saysDavid Fitzpatrick, Ubiquity International's Ireland Cultural Specialist. "If you want to discover such a diverse location, a tour with Ubiquity International is the way to do it." 2007 tour opportunities from Ubiquity:

   
• 6-14 March 2007: Rome and the South of Italy with Cultural Specialist Thomas Talboy, Ph.D. (chaperoned student travel group)
   
• 18-28 April 2007: Paris Gastronomique! with Chef Tyler Stone
   
• 7-19 May 2007: Northern Greece with Cultural Specialist Thomas Talboy, Ph.D.
   
• 9-20 June 2007: Madrid, Barcelona and Paris with Cultural Specialist Alexa Flores-Hull, MA (chaperoned student travel group)
   
• 6-21 July 2007: Greece, Turkey and the Aegean Cruise with Cultural Specialist Thomas Talboy, Ph.D.
   
• 24 July -6 August 2007: Berlin, Prague, Vienna and Bratislava with Cultural Specialist Thomas Talboy, Ph.D.
   
• 4-18 September 2007: Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre and Milan with Cultural Specialist Thomas Talboy, Ph.D.

For more info, visit www.ubiquityinternational.com.

- The Travel Snob

Travel the World - or Send Gifts Like You Do - with the Click of a Mouse at UK2You.com. TRAVEL SNOB TRAVEL & SHOPPING BLOG

    What do you give someone who has everything? Perhaps something meaningful to someone who has nothing. Through the UK2YOU British Expat Shopping Directory, you can buy a goat or even a herd of goats to really make a difference to someone's holiday season this year - or even an entire village. Created by a partner of a British Foreign Office employee, the site also features UK-centric gifts, clothes, ethical, eco friendly and fair trade products, kids, gadgets, travel, and food - all of which ship worldwide - as well as the weekly Diary of a Trailing Spouse,  the blog penned by the creator of UK2YOU which covers everything from "Getting the best out of eBay" to "Men and Gadgets". Check it out at UK2You.com.

- The Travel Snob