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The Original Toll House Cookie Recipe

Yield: 50

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 12 minutes

Total time: 22 minutes

Ingredients:

·       1/2 cup brown sugar

·       1/2 cup white sugar

·       1/2 cup butter or other shortening

·       1 egg

·       1-1/2 cups sifted flour

·       1/2 teaspoon baking soda

·       1/4 teaspoon salt

·       2 tablespoons hot water

·       1/2 teaspoon vanilla

·       7-ounce bar semisweet chocolate

·       1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions:

1. Important: Cut each small square of semisweet chocolate into four pieces.

2. Cream butter or other shortening and add sugars and beaten egg.

3. Dissolve soda in the hot water and mix alternately with the flour sifted with     the salt.

4. Lastly, add the chopped nuts and the pieces of semisweet chocolate.

5. Flavor with the vanilla and drop by half teaspoons on a greased cookie sheet.

6. Bake 10 to 12 minutes in a 375 (F) degree Fahrenheit oven.

Personal Pictures:

In 1938, Toll House cookies were invented in the US by Ruth Wakefield. These cookies became American favorites because Nestlé jumped on the capitalist opportunities the cookie industry possessed. Nestlé specifically used patriotic propaganda that supported American troops during WWII to gain mass support from consumers. At the same time, baking these cookies also solidified the patriarchal gender norms that were associated with the war. In the end, the original Toll House cookie recipe sheds light on the importance of cacao use and its long-term impact on the US and the cookie industry.

Ruth Wakefield invented the chocolate chip cookie as a result of the household arts degree she acquired from Framingham State University in 1924. Once Ms. Wakefield finished her schooling, she and her husband, Kenneth Wakefield, bought a Cape Cod-style toll house on the outskirts of Whitman, Massachusetts (Click Americana, 1). After a few years, the couple transformed the house into a restaurant where Ms. Wakefield prepared homemade meals and baked for visitors of the lodge. Although many myths assume that the chocolate chip recipe was made by accident, they are incorrect. This cookie recipe was no mistake. Ms. Wakefield’s household degree allowed her to acquire ingredient knowledge and cooking techniques necessary to create new recipes. One day, Ms. Wakefield was preparing a colonial favorite dessert, Butter Drop cookies, when she realized that she had run out of baker’s chocolate. Ruth did not fret; instead, she replaced the missing ingredient with a semi-sweet chocolate bar that she had broken up. She anticipated that the chunks would melt; however, this did not take place. The chocolate held its shape and softened to a rich and buttery texture. Her use of brown sugar also shows her clear intentions of creating a new confection. In her original recipe, Ms. Wakefield used both white and brown sugar. Brown sugars tend to clump because they contain more moisture than white sugars; consequently, Ms. Wakefield assured that the cookie would remain moist and chewy. As one can see, Ms. Wakefield unknowingly paved the beginning of the billion-dollar cookie industry with the help of her college degree.

Once the chocolate chip cookie was invented, there was no going back; Nestlé saw a huge surge in sales of their Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar and were urged to capitalize on this event. The chocolate giants quickly drew up an agreement that would allow Nestlé to own and print Ms. Wakefield’s “Toll House Cookie” recipe on their packaging (Click Americana, 3). Nestlé clearly bought Ms. Wakefield’s recipe because the company knew that by adding a recipe to the back of their products, they would encourage families to not only indulge in the bar on its own but for women to also bake their family’s favorite cookies at home. As a result, chocolate would become a household staple that would inspire women to add chocolate to a multitude of recipes. Ms. Wakefield’s recipe was further disseminated through her 1938 cookbook Tried and True, where the chocolate chip cookies were complemented with ice cream. The recipe was so welcomed and admired that it even showed up on Betty Crocker’s influential radio program, causing the chocolate chip cookie to be dubbed Americas “go to cookie.”

The chocolate chip cookie was invented at a peculiar time in American history. This treat originated at the end of the Great Depression and a year before WWII, in 1938. Because it was created at the end of the Great Depression, housewives finally had access to eggs, butter, and milk. Unfortunately, cookie fanatics had a short-lived win as a result of rationing coupons and ingredient shortages that occurred during WWII. Furthermore, chocolate became militarized causing shortages among civilians. On that basis, the chocolate chip cookie is a militarized baked good that helped alleviate the tensions produced by the war.

For most of history chocolate has been used in war efforts. In order to prepare for WWII, the Army teamed up with the Hershey company to create the Logan Bar or D bar in 1937 (Military Chocolate, 2). The chocolate bar had four requirements: the bar had to be portable, contain a large amount of energy, withstand high temperatures, and have an acceptable bitter taste that would discourage soldiers from eating their emergency rations. Although the bars’ taste was detested among soldiers, the bar met all the needs the military demanded to nourish its forces. As a result, the Army began to take frequent orders of the Logan bars and diverted chocolate production to meet the military needs of the country.

Now that chocolate was harder to obtain --because so much of it was going to the fighting forces in emergency and combat rations-- home bakers were urged put it to the best possible use. Nestlé encouraged women to bake Toll House Cookies and boost American morale by sending cookies to their loved ones in the military. One can see this through the advertisements the company created during the war which urged women to “Make a batch of those golden-brown crunchy Toll House Cookies and send it to that soldier boy of yours” (Click Americana, 3). Nestlé clearly took advantage of the US’ total war mentality (which mobilizes all of the resources of society to fight the war) to boost their sales while also publicizing its patriotic contribution to the war. Overall, chocolate chip cookies were a militarized baked good that helped reduce the pressures and anxieties WWII created.

Toll House Cookie advertisement below:

Source: https://clickamericana.com/recipes/dessert-recipes/original-toll-house-cookie-recipe-1939

Although chocolate chip cookies were not intentionally made to undermine women, by baking this popular treat, women ultimately reasserted the patriarchal gender norms that were prominent in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Because the US was participating in WWII, most Americans lived in nuclear families. Men were the primary breadwinners who worked at government funded factories to help aid war efforts. On the other end of the spectrum, white women would stay at home and were encouraged to be the perfect housewife who cleaned, cooked, and baked as a way of contributing to the war by pleasing their male family members. These gender norms are evident in a Nestlé chocolate morsel advertisement which proclaimed that, “Our Best Girl Makes those wonderful—TOLL HOUSE COOKIES” (Lee, 2). This advertisement clearly emphasized that baking is a feminine activity that hardworking men and boys get to benefit from. In addition, young girls were not included in this ad; instead, “moms’ helpers” (little girls) are given toy cookie sets so they too know that “they belong in the kitchen.” As one can see, World War II conditions and Nestlé ads encouraged women to bake chocolate chip cookies to help rally American morale; however, by baking this desert, women were performing patriarchal gender norms.

Nestlé chocolate morsel advertisement below:

Source: https://blog.newspapers.com/the-worlds-first-chocolate-chip-cookie/

Overall, in 1938 Toll House cookies were invented by the American entrepreneur Ruth Wakefield. Once the chocolate chip cookie became America’s favorite, Nestlé took advantage of the capitalist opportunities the cookie industry boasted. Nestlé profited from the total war mentally the US had and used patriotic propaganda to gain support from consumers. Nevertheless, baking these cookies also reinforced the patriarchal gender norms that were associated with the war. Ultimately, the original Toll House cookie recipe sheds light on the importance of cacao use during WWII and its long-term impact on the US and the cookie industry.

[jenny400092]

Week 3: Cacao in Mayan Culture

Mayan influence and power encompassed most of Mesoamerica during the Classic period (3rd to 10th century); throughout their reign, they established themselves as the inventors of chocolate. The Maya had a deep appreciation for cacao. Cacao was embedded within their cultural practices, such as their religious values, and used to establish hierarchy within their burial practices and social gatherings.

Cacao was significant among the Mayas’ culture; this relationship can be inferred through cacao's presence within their myth of origin, Popol Vuh. At the beginning of the Popol Vuh, people and animals didn't exist, except for gods and food such as maize and cacao. When the gods finally decided to create humans in their final form, cacao, corn, and paxtate were the main ingredients used to create the first humans (Lecture, week 3). Not only was cacao's value bolstered when it was pronounced as a primordial food source that gods consumed, but it allowed the Mayas to have a unique connection with their gods, since they were byproducts of cacao.

Cacao is also a social marker that instituted hierarchy within the Maya civilization. For many years, archaeologists have attempted to decipher the hieroglyphic symbols the Maya left behind. In one instance, they determined that the hieroglyphic symbol for cacao had been plastered within the rims of round cylindrical pottery remains among tombs. According to Mayan culture, it was necessary for loved ones to place cacao canisters within tombs to assure a successful transition from Earth to heaven (Lecture, Week 3). Since these pottery remains were found in burial tombs with other important ceremonial objects, and cacao is a demanding crop to procure, it is apparent that only the powerful consumed this treat.

The picture below is the hieroglyphic symbol of cacao :

Source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/385902261792905545/

Although cacao was a luxurious treat, it was also consumed by commoners throughout many social gatherings to establish hierarchy and strong bonds among different communities. Feasts, specifically, occurred as a result of marriages, a ruler’s accession to the throne, and war victories. During these events “guests gathered, ate and drank prodigious amounts, feasting on tamales, meat stews, and sumptuous fruits, and consuming vases of frothy kakaw drinks” (Blake, 22). Furthermore, at the end of the feast, guests would receive manufactured goods and other gifts in forms of food including turkey, maize, and cacao beans. Participation in these feasts obligated attendees to repay elites in the form of political support in the future. Elites intentionally organized these events to secure and maintain social and political alliances with commoners by providing them valuable goods, such as cacao.

The Mayas controlled most of Mesoamerica during the Classic period that occurred from the 3rd to 10th century. During their reign, they transformed the cacao game. Not only did the Mayas create a delicious product that would capture the attention of millions in the time to come, but they sparked the entire chocolate industry. The Maya valued cacao highly. Cacao was integrated within their cultural practices, such as their religious values, and instituted hierarchy within their burial practices and social gatherings.

[jenny400092]

Week 4 Blog: The Use of Cacao in Mexica Culture

The Mexica ruled over Meso-America from the 14th to the 16th century. Although the codices historians have acquired are mediated by Spanish friars, they provide interesting evidence on the use and value of cacao from the Mexica. The Mexica used this plant as a currency, as a technique to establish hierarchy, and as medicine within their civilization. Taking everything to account, because the Mexica were an agricultural society, Aztecs valued cacao beans to a great extent.

Since the Mexica relied on agriculture for their existence, they were able to acquire a large amount of cacao beans. Therefore, part of Mexica economy depended on cacao beans as a source of currency. This was as a result of the physical attributes that cacao had, such as its ability to be divisible, portable, durable, and its difficulty to be counterfeited. Even though Europeans insisted that these “primitive” people were placing an exaggerated value on something that was momentary, the Aztecs’ religious practices reaffirmed their need to use cacao as currency because cacao was associated with the color red, which symbolized blood. According to Aztec culture, without the shedding of blood, it was believed that the sun would not have enough power to defeat the darkness every day. Furthermore, without blood, the world would be dark and lost (Lecture, week 4). As one can see, cacao had a deep religious importance and certain physical traits that deemed it an appropriate currency to represent the Aztec community.

In addition to its monetary value, cacao was used as a vehicle to reassure one's status among an extremely hierarchical society. Cacao did not grow in the empire naturally. Again, because they were an agricultural society, one of the things they valued most, even outside of their own empire, was a crop. Consequently, war allowed nobles to expand their trading and tribute posts. After a new territory was conquered, tax collectors would be assigned to each new province where the Aztecs’ new subjects would be required to pay tribute. Since cacao was a coveted luxury, it was the chief crop that was required of them. Cacao also brought prosperity to those who had control of its trade. Cachueteros, for example, were wholesale cacao merchants near the top of the economic pyramid (Lecture, week 4). On that basis, once the elite had access to cacao, they turned it into chocolate liquid composed of achiote, maize, and a few chiles (Cacao Compilation 2, 9). Drinking this chocolatey substance is what reinforced the elite's superiority among commoners. Based on cacao exchange rates, 4.5 hours of work was worth one cacao bean (Lecture, week 4). Elites were essentially drinking money. Their ability to obtain a large amount of cacao beans for just consumption was astonishing to those who could barely survive on small cacao wages. Royals also reinforced their supremacy by declaring their close ties to the gods that most Mexica worshipped. According to the royals, they were descendants of cacao trees and therefore were justified to maintain their high status. Cacao was a valuable commodity that was associated with wealth and was used as a technique to reassure one's status among the civilization.

The picture above illustrates the tribute extracted from the cacao producing region of Soconusco. The tribute consisted of 200 loads loads of cacao and 300 cacao drinking stone bowls. 

Source: http://exhibits.mannlib.cornell.edu/chocolate/moneygrewontrees.php

One final way that Aztecs utilized cacao was for its medicinal properties. The Mexicas did not have the luxury of a pharmacy down the street; instead, they improved their agricultural society and established botanical gardens that grew domesticated herbs and wild plants. Moctezuma (the final ruler of the Aztec empire) ordered cacao trees to be transplanted to these gardens ( Lecture, week 4). Moctezuma’s acceptance and trust of chocolate’s medicinal values clearly demonstrates the admiration of cacao’s powerful properties by the entire Aztec civilization. Cacao paste’s appealing flavor was also used as a vehicle to administer other dreadful-tasting medicines. Cacao was also a potent medicine on its own. It was used to stimulate the nervous system, treat anemia, treat sexual dysfunctions, and more (Lecture, week 4). The large number of uses for cacao in Aztec medicinal practices demonstrates its importance in their civilization.

Ultimately, even though the primary sources historians have acquired were written by biased Christian friars, it is evident that the Mexica loved cacao because they used it as a currency, as a technique to establish hierarchy, and as a medicine within their civilization. More importantly, the Mexica valued cacao beans to a high degree because they were an agricultural society.  

[jenny400092]

Week 5: European Appropriation of Chocolate

Even though Europeans colonized the first major civilizations (Mexica and Maya) cacao colonized Europe because the skyrocketing consumption of cacao scared Europeans into believing that they would lose their cultural identity. As a result, Europeans appropriated chocolate by stripping it from its spiritual origins and declaring that chocolate was a medicine to justify its colonial presence. At the end of the day, Europeans purposely appropriated chocolate  to compartmentalize themselves from the indigenous inventors of chocolate who were portrayed as savages.

No longer is cacao associated with the religious values that the Mexica and Mayas practiced; instead, Europeans transformed chocolate into a recreational treat that “civilized” elites consumed. In order for Europeans to accept and acquire a taste for chocolate, they invested in new cooking equipment. The invention of the chocolate pot was not only a vessel, but a carefully fashioned and sophisticated cookware item. The pot was made of metal, had a pear shape, and had a removable lid for the use of a molinillo, or frothing tool (Lecture, week 5). The use of new equipment for the sole purpose of consuming chocolate served as a symbol of wealth and status. Unlike the working class, who toiled their lives away, elites had the time and resources to spend their money on recreational activities that most Europeans could not afford. Furthermore, once Europeans reinvented the chocolate making process with new and improved utensils, cacao could not be associated with the indigenous “savages” that had previously cultivated cacao.

The picture above illustrates a 1740 porcelain chocolate pot manufactured in Germany

Source: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/brief-history-chocolate-pot-180954241/

Although chocolate consumption among different European countries varied, this confectionate treat was still associated with the higher class. In Spain, elites gathered frequently (tertulia) to discuss high-brow culture such as art, political issues, and bullfighting. During these events, chocolate was served hot with milk, dubbed the “heart of elegance,” and was the elites’ favorite drink until the 18th century (Lecture, week 5). Similarly, in the United Kingdom, chocolate was consumed by anyone who could afford it. In England, chocolate was part of male culture. Men would go to chocolate houses where politics and bets were topics of discussion (Lecture, week 5). They believed that consuming chocolate would clear the mind, in contrast to the dulling effects of alcohol. Chocolate was a coveted treat among the elite; hence, they created new infrastructure that would allow them to organize spectacles where they could indulge and drink an exotic drink that ultimately reasserted their high status.

The picture above is London’s most famous chocolate house. White’s Chocolate House was opened in 1693 by Italian immigrant, Frances White. 

Source: https://www.benlaughtonsmith.com/whites-chocolate-house.html

Europeans also distinguished themselves from indigenous people by justifying the colonial presence of cacao with its medicinal properties. The indigenous peoples from whom the cacao was taken also believed that it had healing properties. Yet, the Europeans exploited this belief, using it to excuse their consumption of a food from a supposedly inferior culture. If Europeans began to intake this exotic drink that originated from indigenous tribes who they belittled, they might risk losing their powerful cultural identity and becoming savages themselves. The medicinal use of cacao among Europeans is exemplified through the Portuguese empire. In Portugal, chocolate had a double function; it served the needs of wounded soldiers and was an indulgent treat that only elites had access to with the help of the “royal chocolatier.” On one hand, “the chocolateiro created sumptuous chocolate confections for the royal family and nobility...he was also attached to the staff of the Royal military hospital, supplying the rich cocoa beverage prescribed for its supposed recuperative powers.” (Walker, 561). In reality, cacao only had a handful of medicinal uses such as alleviating skin diseases, combating hunger, and aiding individuals who were fatigued. The chocolateiros' high ranking position proves the extremities Europeans went through to demonstrate the powerful medicinal properties cacao encompassed. More importantly, it was a facade Europeans utilized to differentiate themselves from “savage” civilizations that they had conquered.

With that said, although Europeans invaded the civilizations of the Mexica and Maya, cacao colonized Europe because the vast consumption of cacao frightened Europeans into believing that they would lose their superior identity. Consequently, Europeans appropriated chocolate by denying the spiritual origins chocolate once had. Europeans also claimed that chocolate was a medicine to account for its colonial presence. In the end, Europeans created a facade to differentiate themselves from the “savage” indigenous inventors of chocolate.

[jenny400092]

Week 6: The Transatlantic Slave Trade

Source: https://www.thinglink.com/scene/395975354931478529

Once Europeans acquired the taste for chocolate, they colonized areas that grew cacao and expanded protection to the new regions. Europeans specifically did this to encourage national wealth by maximizing exports and minimizing imports. As a result of mercantilist economic policies, large revenues were acquired through the commercialization of cacao. On that basis, once cacao production increased, it prompted the transatlantic slave trade.

The stimulation of the transatlantic slave trade can be attributed to a transforming workforce of African slaves. Since the demand of chocolate was substantial, Europeans needed to establish labor tactics that would assert an obedient and large workforce that could produce large amounts of cacao. In the case of the Spanish, the crown distributed encomiendas (land grants) in Tabasco and Soconusco, Mexico (Lecture, week 6). Here, Spanish aristocrats were required to collect a specific amount of labor and tribute, such as cacao, from a given number of natives. Gradually, cacao producers modified their labor tactics from encomiendas to haciendas. Haciendas were self-sufficient estates that relied on debt peonage to maintain a stable labor force (Ferry, 9). Due to the foreign diseases that Europeans carried and the labor-intensive needs of cacao production, native populations dwindled. Consequently, cacao producing regions like Venezuela and Ecuador urgently needed to find a new workforce- African slave labor.

In order to ensure a stable workforce, European traders fostered the kidnapping of Africans from the Gold Coast, Congo and Angola. They established European forts on the coast of Africa where they dealt with African chiefs who brought them prisoners from rival groups and villages in return of European manufactured goods such as hardware, fabrics, and guns (Lecture, Week 6). As one can see, cacao was a highly profitable crop if it had the ability to unite three different continents to ensure its production. About 10-13 million Africans were kidnapped from their communities and forced to undergo an inhumane trip across the Atlantic Ocean called the Middle Passage (Lecture, week 6). Slaves among these ships were incarcerated in close quarters for several months where disease rampaged. No African group formed a majority nor spoke the same tongue on board these ships. Slave traders purposely did this so inmates could not communicate amongst themselves and rebel. Furthermore, the lack of communication among the slaves accelerated their acculturation process. This was an essential goal for traders because Africans could easily become Christianized obedient workers once they arrived in Latin America. Similar to the circumstances indigenous tribes faced, Africans were also worked to death as a result of the labor-intensive needs of cacao. This ultimately led to the continuation of the transatlantic trade until the early 19th century.

Although the transatlantic system was based on the inhumane treatment of indigenous and African people, it is a significant event that connected three continents that played a crucial role in the development of the modern world economy.

[jenny400092]

Week 7: From an Elitist Drink to a Common Treat

The industrial revolution in the 18th century accelerated cacao production methods, which ultimately reduced manufacturing costs and enhanced the quality of chocolate. As a result, the demand for chocolate skyrocketed now that chocolate had lost its luxurious and elitist identity. The transformation of chocolate’s identity can be accredited to new pieces of technology such as the Dutching method and the invention of the chocolate bar; furthermore, the facilitation of new manufacturing processes and the craze for chocolate allowed the establishment of chocolate corporations like Cadbury. Overall, at the beginning of the 18th century, chocolate became more accessible to the public.

With the help of steam engine and water powered tools that the industrial revolution produced, companies did not have to primarily focus on keeping their pace with the demand for chocolate anymore. They now had time to research and invent new processes that would further facilitate the chocolate making process. The Dutching method was invented in the 19th century by Coenraad Johannes Van Houten whose father was also responsible for the cacao press, which allowed cacao butter to be turned into solids (Snyder, week 7). The Dutching method is an important tool because for the first time, the working class had access to cacao that had been treated with an alkalizing agent that modified cacao's color and gave it a non-bitter taste compared to the "natural cocoa" extracted with the Broma process. Furthermore, it allowed consumers to mix chocolate with other substances like sugar into many different desserts like baked goods and ice cream at home. The elitist identity chocolate had was now broken; the boasted chocolate drinks elites proudly drank in chocolate houses could be made into a variety of chocolate confections in the comfort of everyone's home.

The picture above differentiates Dutch cocoa v.s. natural cocoa

Source: https://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-regular-and-dutch-cocoa-powder-word-of-mouth-215304

Another invention that the Industrial Revolution facilitated was the chocolate bar. Before chocolate bars existed, chocolate manufacturers did not know what to do with the butter that was extracted from cacao beans. Luckily in 1848, Joseph Fry combined a chocolate drink and cacao butter together creating the world’s first chocolate bars (Snyder, 6). This was a revolutionary byproduct because consumers had access to portable chocolate, before, people either were forced to take part in chocolate houses or had to prepare it at home. Now that chocolate bars had compact and portable properties, they could be consumed anywhere and at any time. The chocolate bar was further advanced when Daniel Pete added dehydrated powdered milk to optimize the taste of chocolate. This resulted in the chocolate bar’s extended shelf life, sweeter chocolate, more importantly, the modern chocolate bar consumers overlook in the supermarket today.

Since chocolate was now highly accessible to the public, it encouraged the establishment of corporations like Cadbury to further disseminate chocolate. The founders of Cadbury were Quakers. In the mid-17th century, their ancestors were persecuted because they had broken away from the almighty Church of England. Thus, Quakers were banned from public office and universities (Lecture, week 7). This setback did not stop the Cadbury founders. They simply took part in one of the few sectors available to them, business. Originally, the company's founders took up chocolate production to help the poor stay away from alcoholic vices. Cadbury also promised good quality, unadultered goods, and fair prices. The company purposely took advantage of its pure identity and the low production costs that the Industrial Revolution provided, to acquire a large and loyal consumer base. The company went from a single shop to a confectionary empire that advertised Quaker morals. To further spread chocolate consumption, Cadbury created chocolate products that could be associated with certain holidays. In the 1860s, the company created heart-shaped boxes for Valentine's Day and love related events while in the 1870s, the company created the first ever Easter eggs. Cadbury was wise for creating such products. If cheap chocolate was now associated with holidays, they would obtain a consistent consumer base year around.

Cadbury Easter eggs

Source: https://www.amazon.com/Cadbury-Easter-Candy-Coated-Chocolate/dp/B007IW68MM

The transformation of chocolate’s identity can be attributed to new pieces of machinery that the Industrial Revolution brought to life such as the Dutching method and the invention of the chocolate bar. Additionally, the low cost and ease of new manufacturing processes allowed Cadbury to become a chocolate giant. In the end, the 18th century represents a time period where chocolate became more accessible to the public.

[jenny400092]

Week 8: Child Labor

Source: https://www.raconteur.net/corporate-social-responsibility/child-labour-cocoa-production/

The late 19th century boom in Europeans chocolate consumption and the scramble for Africa were closely intertwined. Now that Latin America had established a neocolonial economy, Europeans were forced to find new cacao producing regions. As a result, Sao Tome, Ghana, and the Ivory Coast became Africa’s prime producing cacao areas. Since cacao is a labor-intensive crop with a price subject to change based on international demand, small farmers pray on the cheapest available labor- children. Due to the unfair labor practices the cacao industry promotes and the opposition to stop child labor, children’s lives are put at stake.

Dangerous and physically demanding working conditions are prominent in cacao farms. Because of the poverty within cacao producing regions, children from the ages of 5 to 15 years old are forced to work on cacao farms with their families. Once on these farms, children can work up to 100 hours a week and perform dangerous task such as carrying one hundred pounds of cacao and can work in close proximity to chemicals without the appropriate protective gear (Lecture, week 8). As one can see, it is cruel that children must endure up to a hundred hours of work to help their family provide food on the table. Furthermore, one can infer that there must be a limited number of jobs throughout these regions that inhibit families from acquiring a higher standard of living without putting their children’s mental and physical state at risk.

Not all children work on farms with their families, many are trafficked, kidnapped, or sold into slave labor. In 2001, the US state department estimated that there were 15,000 child slaves in cacao, cotton and coffee farms in the Ivory coast (lecture, week 8). Unfortunately, no one is taking responsibility for the slavery that occurs in cacao production. Those who sell the children to the farmers claim they did not see the slavery, while farmers blame the worldwide cost of cacao as the culprit. On the other hand, chocolate corporations argue that they did not know where their suppliers bought cacao from. Due to an increasing amount of consumer awareness, the Harkin-Engel protocol was established in 2001. This amendment funded the development of a “slave free” label for chocolate product sold in the US. In addition, their committee claimed that child slavery would be removed by 2005 (Harkin Engel Protocol, 1). Once again, this campaign was only a publicity stunt because to this day, their deadline has not been met. Chocolate corporations only supported this bill to ensure that their customers would not boycott their products. According to the Harkin- Engel committee, this group of lobbyists were aiming to get rid of the “worst forms of child labor” (Harkin Engel Protocol, 2). It is clear that chocolate giants do not care to end child labor because it would deter their economic prosperity.

On that basis, as a result of the increasing demand for chocolate in the 19th century and Latin America’s transition into a neocolonial economy, corporations were forced to move the majority of their cacao production to Africa. With that said, the unfair labor practices the cacao industry promotes and its unwillingness to take responsibility for its illegal labor force causes children’s lives to be put at stake.

[jenny400092]

Week 9: Chocolate Advertisements in the 19th Century

Now that cacao could be massively produced with emerging technology, the industrial revolution forced chocolate corporations to search for new areas of cacao production. As a result, Europeans colonized Africa as they sought cheap labor from children. Due to an increasing supply of chocolate production, competition arose between large corporations. Consequently, corporations reinvented chocolate as a middle class treat in the 19th century. Once chocolate’s identity had been reinvented, big corporations enticed their consumers through a booming advertising industry that characterized the Maya as inferior and exotic. Corporations also created ads that romanticized colonial exploitation too. Overall, these advertisements are mirrors of their society, and thus reflect racist stereotypes common in the mid-twentieth century.

Even though the Mexica and Mayan civilizations are credited as the inventors of chocolate, indigenous culture is erased and appropriated in 19th century advertisements. Corporations stereotyped Mayans as inferior and exotic. The JELL-O Mayan commercial illustrates the “exoticness” of Mayans by playing the flute in the background, a common stereotype that alludes to the wilderness. Although the commercial correctly describes how Mayans sought protection from their gods by paying tribute to them in form of gifts such as cacao beans, corn, and potatoes, the narrator of the commercial later belittles the food by calling it “boring” and “lame” (MarketwiredNewsVideo, 00:00:08 – 00:00:15). The corporation was uneducated to belittle the food that Mayans used as tribute because in Mayan society, cacao beans were so highly valued that they used them as a currency.

JELL-O Mayan commercial

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvMHttk6Yp8&feature=emb_title

An additional racial stereotype that was displayed in advertisements was the romanticization of colonial exploitation. The Conguitos advertisement specifically dehumanizes African Americans by characterizing them as savages that lived in straw huts and carried spears. The advertisement's simplistic figures only focused on African Americans' big eyes and lips. One of the most troubling scenes is the transformation of a group of black human bodies turning into chocolate balls that would be later picked-up for the consumption of a white woman. (Conquitos TV, 00:00:01 – 00:00:27). This advertisement is not far from the truth; Europeans scrambled for Africa, and coincidentally, large chocolate corporations began to extract cacao from these areas. Throughout this process, cacao farms kidnapped children, plucking them one by one from their communities. Even though the main goal of the ad was to sell Conguitos’ chocolate, this corporation is suggesting that African Americans are submissive and happy to be colonial subjects. In addition, this ad allows consumers to believe that a colonizing mentality is natural and logical.

Conguitos commercial 

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFOXOeBbhD8&feature=emb_title

Despite that the industrial revolution allowed chocolate to become mass produced and have a middle-class price point, the advertisement industry can be described as a looking glass into our society. Fundamentally, chocolate corporations enticed their consumers through a booming advertising industry that reinforced racial stereotypes.

[jenny400092]

Week 10: Are Efforts Toward Sustainable Chocolate Actually Real?

Source: https://atlxfoot.com/fair-trade-chocolate-atlanta/

The mass consumption of chocolate has led to the economic prosperity of corporations on the backs of cacao farmers. Fortunately for cacao farmers, the bridge between consumers and producers has closed. Consumers are now aware of the unsustainable farming practices chocolate corporations promote. Consequently, corporations have initiated new organizations that will provide cacao farmers a higher standard of living, which ultimately safeguards the production of cacao beans for the corporations’ benefit. Most efforts toward sustainable chocolate are façades disguised as ad campaigns that chocolate corporations only created to appease the conscious consumer’s demands in the 21st century; one can see this by analyzing the Fair-Trade organization and Lindt & Sprungli’s Farming Program that was initiated in 2008.

The Fair-Trade organization was created to overcome constant obstacles cacao producers face by providing them certification that allows farmers to earn fair prices for their products. Therefore, the organization pays farmers the world market’s price, which is about two thousand dollars per ton, or the organization’s minimum wage, which allows farmers to have financial stability (Lecture, week 10). Furthermore, Fair-Trade cacao pays all their laborers equally, no matter their gender. This laboral practice was a big win for women in the Ivory Coast, because even though they accounted for one fourth of all farmers in the country, for many years, they were paid lower wages due to their gender. Farms are also inspected once a year to make sure that no unethical labor practices are in place by producers. These inspections are crucial to children because the cacao industry exploits child labor; cacao growers force children to work in harsh working conditions for long periods of time.

Although Fair Trade has strived to help farmers attain a higher standard of living, the organization has immense problems. Not only is the certification a burdensome out of pocket expense for farmers, but farmers must abide by sustainable farming practices that the organization does not adequately reimburse for. Farmers must eliminate their use of pesticides due to the toxic chemicals they contain; instead, they must rely on manual weeding, which results in high labor costs that corporations do not wish to compensate for. (Lecture, week 10).  In addition, the ability of the organization to provide fair chocolate prices has been questioned in recent years due to the fact that they cannot guarantee consistent purchases among their farmers. The financial stability that the organization advertises is a hoax that leaves farmers’ financial security and well-being at risk.

Lindt & Sprungli’s Farming Program is another organization that was created to appease the conscious consumer’s demands in the 21st century. The bean to bar commercial from Lindt’s chocolate corporation clearly demonstrates this charade. The ad publicizes with great honor that “Lindt Sprungli sources its entire demand of West African beans from a special purchasing model from Ghana” (Lindt Chocolate World, 00:00:35 - 00:00:42). Never did the ad mention the type of purchasing model relationship it has with Ghana’s growers. This leads consumers to wonder whether the purchasing model is similar to that of the Fair-Trade Organization, Alternate Trade Organization, Cacao Direct, or if this mutual agreement that guarantees farmers a higher standard of living even exists. In addition, the company also boasts that it “pays a special premium for the traceability and verification of each ton of cocoa from Ghana” (Lindt Chocolate World, 00:01:18 - 00:01:26). Once again, the commercial did not explicitly mention whether they were paying farmers more than minimum wage and how consumers could track where their chocolate bars originated. Instead, the Lindt corporation distracted their audience from asking these questions by showing them how the company invests in schools, resource centers, and wells within different cacao communities. One of the most ominous features presented in the ad was that consumers did not get to witness any of the individual farmers’ experience on the cacao farms. Consumers rather got a romanticized version of cacao production. Here, viewers viewed robotic clips of smiling farm workers who were part of an assembly line. In reality, cacao production is very tedious, and most workers are children who are abducted from their villages and are forced to work more than 40 hours a week.

Overall, consumers are aware of the unsustainable practices chocolate corporations benefited from for most of history, hence, they now demand the ethical treatment of cacao laborers. Most efforts taken by chocolate corporations to establish sustainable chocolate are shams disguised as ad campaigns that chocolate corporations only created to please the conscious consumer’s demands in the 21st century; one can see this by investigating the Fair-Trade organization and Lint’s & Sprungli’s Farming Program that began in 2008.