Whose responsibility?

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We want to take a position on a complex question and defend it with reasons. Global problems usually involve many actors: individuals, companies and governments. A convincing text acknowledges this before arguing where the main responsibility lies.

Use cautious language when the evidence is uncertain: it seems, this suggests, to some extent. Use stronger language when you are sure: clearly, without doubt. Support claims with facts or examples, and say where they come from.

To some extent, individuals can make a difference. However, the main responsibility clearly lies with governments.

What's in the price of a banana?

Bananas are one of the most popular fruits in the world, and in many European supermarkets they are also among the cheapest. But have you ever wondered how something grown thousands of kilometres away can cost so little? Most of the bananas sold in Europe are grown in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as in parts of Africa. Growing them is hard work. Workers on large plantations often work long hours in hot conditions, and in some countries they have been exposed to dangerous pesticides. Small farmers, meanwhile, often have little power to negotiate prices with the big companies that buy their fruit. The price we pay in the shop is divided between many people: the farmer or plantation, the workers, the shipping company, the importer and the supermarket. According to campaign groups such as the Fairtrade Foundation, the people who grow the fruit receive only a small share of the final price, while supermarkets and other companies further along the chain take a much larger part. Fair trade schemes try to change this. Farmers who join receive a minimum price for their bananas, even when market prices fall, plus an extra payment that their community can spend on projects such as schools or clean water. Critics point out that fair trade products still make up a small part of the market and that the schemes cannot solve every problem. So who should act? Shoppers can choose fair trade products, but many people cannot afford to pay more, and individual choices only go so far. Supermarkets could accept smaller profits. Governments could set stricter rules for working conditions and support small farmers. Many researchers argue that real change probably needs all of them working together.

Källor

1. Kursplan i engelska, Lgr22, Skolverket