Fair-trade Campfire Bananas

You’ll need

Aluminium foil
Spoons
Knives
Oven
Fairly traded bananas
Fairly traded chocolate, or chocolate buttons
Device to show video (optional)

Before you begin

If you have enough helpers, you may want to get some to help everyone learn about Fair Trade while the others sort out the oven (or campfire) and prep the bananas.

The terms Fairtrade and Fair Trade can seem confusing. ‘Fairtrade’ describes the specific certification and labelling system governed by Fairtrade International. ‘Fair Trade’ describes any system of trading based on the explicit principle of being fair. ‘Fair Trade’ can include products with and without the ‘Fairtrade’ mark, and is monitored by bodies including the World Fair Trade Organisation. Any other use of the words implies trading fairly, but not necessarily to any internationally recognised standards.

Learn about Fair Trade

The person leading the activity should explain that a lot of farmers have poor working conditions, and that they often don’t get much money for the things they grow, even though the big companies who buy their products and sell them to us make a lot of money from them.
The person leading the activity should explain that Fair Trade makes sure that the farmers who grow things such as bananas and cocoa (for chocolate) are paid a fair price for their products and have better working conditions.
The person leading the activity could show everyone the Pablo the super banana video, which explains how bananas are grown and how they end up in the shops.

You can find the video here. There are also story cards that may be useful too.

Make chocolate bananas

The person leading the activity should preheat the oven to 200°C, or make a campfire.

If you choose to cook on a fire, don’t forget to keep a bucket with water close to it.

The person leading the activity should prepare the bananas. They should place them (unpeeled) on a stable surface and use a knife to cut a slit along the length, being careful not to cut through the skin on the other side.
Everyone should wash their hands.
The person leading the activity should give everyone a slit banana and some chocolate (or chocolate buttons).

To reduce cost, you could ask local supermarkets if they’re able to give you bananas that would otherwise be thrown away, or you could ask people to bring a banana from home.

Everyone should fill the slit in their banana with chocolate (or chocolate buttons).
Everyone should wrap their filled banana with tinfoil. Everyone should cook their bananas. If using a campfire, they should use tongs to put them in the embers. If using an oven, they should use oven gloves to place them in the oven.
While the bananas are cooking (and cooling), the person leading the activity should help everyone to think more about Fair Trade. They could think about what other Fair Trade products people can buy.

Fair Trade products include chocolate, bananas, rice, flowers, sugar, and tea. Fairtrade products come from over 70 different countries. Fairtrade has encouraged many farmers to farm in a more environmentally friendly way.

After between two and five minutes, an adult should carefully check that the chocolate has melted. If the chocolate has melted, they should carefully remove the bananas using tongs.
The person leading the activity should put the bananas to one side for a few minutes, to cool.
Everyone should unwrap their cooled baked banana, and use a spoon to scoop the insides out of the tinfoil, eat, and enjoy.

Reflection

This activity helped remind you that you’re a citizen. You’re an international citizen — just like the farmers who grow the food you eat. Do you think we have responsibilities to farmers (including in other countries)? Why is it important to be fair to farmers, their families, and their communities?

This activity also gave you a chance to care. Can you think of a time when something unfair happened to you? How did you feel? How do you think farmers who don’t get a fair trade may feel? Your actions, for example, choosing to buy fairly traded products if you can, have an impact on people across the world.

Safety

All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

Food: Remember to check for allergies, eating problems, fasting or dietary requirements and adjust the recipe as needed. Make sure you’ve suitable areas for storing and preparing food and avoid cross contamination of different foods. Take a look at our guidance on food safety and hygiene.
Cooking: Teach young people how to use cooking equipment safely. Supervise them appropriately throughout. Make sure it’s safe to use and follow manufacturers’ guidelines for use.
Fires and stoves: Make sure anyone using fires and stoves is doing so safely. Check that the equipment and area are suitable and have plenty of ventilation. Follow the gas safety guidance. Have a safe way to extinguish the fire in an emergency.