Fairtrade has unveiled a new global campaign, “Bitter Sweet,” featuring a stop-motion animation, titled "Unwrap a Fairer Future," that showcases the challenges within the cocoa supply chain and how Fairtrade works to overcome them.

Set for July 1-7, this global campaign is expected to reach people in 22 countries leading up to the film's global debut across Fairtrade's social channels on World Chocolate Day, July 7, 2021.

''Unwrap a Fairer Future" is a specially commissioned campaign film designed to show how choosing Fairtrade chocolate can change the lives of cocoa farmers. Produced by Fairtrade in collaboration with Niels Hoebers, the stop-motion animation tells the story of two bespoke bars of chocolate. At first glance, both look good enough to eat, but once unwrapped, the bars tell two different stories.

The bitter bar shows the cocoa lands of West Africa, where uncertified cocoa farmers who are unable to grow their crop on Fairtrade terms face injustice and low prices, leading to poverty and deforestation that holds farming communities back. The film also depicts a sweeter side: Fairtrade-certified cocoa farmers benefit from rigorous independent standards and receive support to adapt their farming practices to meet those standards, earning fair prices for their cocoa. 

"We're making the bitter cost of each non-certified chocolate bar instantly apparent," said Nilufar Verjee, Fairtrade's director of public engagement and global cocoa campaign lead. "This is a captivating and shareable way to discover why cocoa farmers who grow the cocoa in our favourite chocolate bars deserve better incomes."

Bitter Sweet launched with cocoa farmers sharing their own personal experiences. In the days following, 22 Fairtrade global regions are sharing information on social media about Fairtrade's impact, where to buy Fairtrade chocolate and how consumers can help by sharing with a friend. The campaign will culminate with the debut of the animation on July 7.