What is Trade?

What is Trade?
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Activity
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Banana Split Game
Resources needed:
Copies of the Banana Split Role Cards (below) and three copies
(printed as large as possible) of the Banana Split poster.
Time needed:
45 minutes.
Main activity:
Divide the class into ve groups to represent each of the
different jobs in the banana chain. Tell them that you are
about to play a game that traces the path of the banana
as it is exported from its plantation in Latin America (or the
Caribbean Islands) to your fruit bowl.
First round
Allocate the roles to each of the groups:
8anana workers.
Planlalion owners.
Shippers.
lmporlers and ripeners.
Shop or supermarkel.
Space oul lhe groups. Cive lhem lheir role cards and ask
them to read their role information. Give them a few
momenls lo work oul whal lheir roles mighl involve.
Tell them that each banana costs 30p in the shops here.
Ask lhem lo decide how much ol lhe 30p lhey should gel lor
lhe jobs/work lhey do in lhe banana chain.
Ask lhem lo spend a couple ol minules discussing lhis and
preparing arguments why they deserve the amount they have
chosen for themselves.
Get each group to share the
amounts and present
their reasons. Write
the amounts they
have asked lor on
the rst Banana
Split poster.
Second round
Inevitably the total from all the groups will be more than 30p.
The groups will need lo negoliale. Choose a spokesperson lrom
each group to negotiate a price until the amount comes to 30p.
Write up the new prices on another Banana Split poster
When lhey have agreed amounls, reveal lhe lrue breakdown
of who gets what from the nal price of a Latin American
banana (write these amounts up on the third Banana Split
poster for comparison):
8anana worker !p
Planlalion owner 5p
Shipper 4p
Importer and ripener 7p
Shop or supermarkel !3p
To make more impacl, you could give lhe group represenling
lhe supermarkel 30 pence. They keep lheir share and lhen pass
lhe resl lo lhe Pipener's group, who keep lheir share and pass
lhe resl on lo lhe lmporlers, who keep lheir share and pass lhe
resl lo lhe Shippers, lhen lhe Owners and lnally lhe Workers.
Debrieng:
Discuss the following questions with the group:
Do you lhink lhis is a lair silualion?
Why is lhe 30p shared oul as il is?
Who has power and why?
Whal could be done lo improve lhe silualion?
Whal role can we play as lhe people who buy lhe bananas?
Would you be prepared lo pay more lor your bananas il
you knew workers and larmers gol a price lhal would
enable lhem lo meel lheir basic needs?
Are you aware ol similar silualions
in lhis counlry? (lor example,
lhe use ol workers lrom
different countries, often
led by a gang master, on
farms in East Anglia or
lhe workers lrom China
employed as cockle
pickers?)
Photos courtesy of: Fairtrade Foundation
Banana Split Role Cards
Banana Worker
12-14 hours per day of hard physical labour in hot conditions.
Selecting the best bananas.
Washing bananas: You will have your hands in water all day.
Cutting bananas: You will have to carry heavy loads of bananas
on your back.
Applying fertilisers and pesticides: Can lead lo heallh risks
such as cancer and olher diseases. Peslicides are also sprayed lrom
planes lhey are likely lo lall on your home or lhe local school.
Worry: Will you have enough money to buy food, pay medical
bills or lo send your children lo school? You may nol be allowed
lo meel logelher wilh olher workers lo complain aboul your pay,
lhe way you are lrealed al work or where you live. You will be
discouraged from joining a trade union.
What is Trade?

What is Trade?
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Activity
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Banana Split Role Cards
Plantation Owner
Plantation running costs: You will have to pay for expensive
pesticides, fuel for pesticide-spraying aeroplanes, tools and
machinery.
Cost of lawyers: ln case workers sue you lor work accidenls.
Waste: Regulations in most countries in Europe and most
shoppers wanl 'perlecl lruil' no mark on lhe skin, nice shape
elc. This lakes a lol ol skill and money lo achieve. ll any ol your
bananas dont meet these high standards they have to be scrapped
so you lose money.
Risk factor: You bear the cost if the harvest is bad, or a hurricane
or pest destroys your crop.
Modernisation investments: You need money lo keep paying
for the latest machines and ideas, so your plantation stays up to
date and you stay in business.
Cost of land: The longer your land is used to grow bananas, the
more the goodness in the soil will be used up and you will need to
pay for expensive fertilisers, or buy new land!
What is Trade?

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Banana Split Role Cards
Shop or supermarket
Staff: You have lo pay lhe people who work in your slore.
Running costs: Lighting, transport, designing of staff uniforms,
carrier bags etc.
Competition: You need lo lake on new ideas, maybe build a
bigger shop, buy new machinery all lo make sure you make
more money than other shops and stay in business.
Risk: If the bananas are handled badly or arrive on the shelves
over-ripe, your customers will not be happy they may decide not
to shop at your store any more.
Advertising: You will need to advertise what you sell and to
show how good your shop is so that shoppers come to buy their
shopping at your store rather than going anywhere else.
What is Trade?

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Activity
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Banana Split Role Cards
Shipper
Ships: 8ig cargo ships are very expensive lo buy and keep in
working order.
Fuel: You need to pay for fuel for the ships one load between
Lalin America and Lurope may be al sea lor up lo lve weeks.
Insurance: If a cargo is lost or damaged, it may be your fault and
you may have to pay for it.
Refrigeration: On board, lhe bananas are kepl in big lridges lo
prevent them from ripening during the time at sea. If they ripen
too soon they will be spoilt by the time they arrive at the shops.
Port fees: You will have to pay for your ships to be in port at both
ends of the sea journey.
What is Trade?

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Activity
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Banana Split Role Cards
Importer and ripener
Transport: 8y lruck lrom lhe Luropean porl lo big ripening cenlres,
and from there to the shops.
Contracts: You will have to promise the plantation owner that you
will buy a cerlain amounl ol bananas each week. You will have lo
promise the shops you will provide a certain amount of bananas
each week. Whalever happens, you will have lo keep lhe promises,
even if something goes wrong in the supply chain and you are let
down.
Licence fee: You will have to pay for an import licence to bring your
bananas into the European Union.
Big ofces: Importers need big, fancy ofce buildings for the
work lhal lheir role involves.
Ripening gas: Ethylene is used to ripen bananas.
Repackaging: Aller ripening lhe bananas musl be repackaged so
you will have lo pay lor lhe malerials and lor lhe workers lo do lhis.
What is Trade?

What is Trade?
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Activity
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What is Trade?

What is Trade?
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Activity
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Cost breakdown of Banana
Banana Split Word Poster

Plantation
owner
S
h
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s a
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su
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Banana
worker
Shipper
Importer
and ripener
3
0
p