Investigating crops
Aim:
To discover more about the origins of common crops.
You will need:
Internet access.
Duration:
30 minutes
You may have seen coffee powder, chocolate bars or tea bags, but do you know how they originally grow? Many people in colder, northern countries have never seen a banana plant or a cocoa bush growing. This is because these plants grow best in tropical climates. International trade means people in other places can benefit from these goods, by buying and transporting them across the globe. But when people only see the finished product - such as a bar of chocolate, or a tea bag - it is easy to forget the farmers who put the work into growing those crops.
Find out more about some of the plants we rely on for everyday foods and drinks - Where do they grow? How long do they take to grow? How many varieties are there? When are they harvested? How are they made into products to sell? Who makes the most profit from selling and processing the crops?
Cocoa
Did you know that many cocoa farmers have never tasted chocolate?
http://www.greenandblacks.com/from_bean_to_bar.php
Bananas
Did you know there are over 300 types of banana?
http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ksheets/banana.html
Coffee
Did you know it takes 3 to 4 years for a coffee plant to start producing coffee berries?
http://www.gourmetcoffeeclub.com/cof_plant.htm
Tea
Did you know tea pickers just pick the three newest leaves at the end of the branch?
http://www.teatrail.co.uk/tt/world.html