Cadbury Chocolate Canada (and its subsidiary companies) are running a program/contest this summer called ‘The Bicycle Factory‘. For every product UPC code a customer enters into the contest website, one part of a bicycle is added to a bike. 100 UPC codes make up one bike.
Cadbury will donate up to 5000 bikes to people in Ghana where Cadbury sources most of its cocoa. One Canadian entrant will win a trip to Ghana to help distribute the bikes. Additional info about Cadbury’s corporate responsibility program can be found here. On the flip side, a quick Google search reveals issues around Cadbury and colonialism/slavery. Heavy stuff, I know, but it IS related to the ever-useful bicycle.
So, what do folks think - is this just another corporate responsibility program or do you think they are really helping the people of Ghana?
2 responses so far ↓
1 Meg - Sydney // Jul 28, 2009 at 12:19 pm
It’s kind of a tricky one. The people of Ghana are being helped which is an extremely positive thing, in the long run though, I’m sure Cadbury’s are going to benefit far more out of the deal.
Instead of parping on about using fair trade cocoa, why don’t they put some money into guaranteeing that they never, ever, 100% and without any shadow of a doubt purchase cocoa from plantations that use children sold into slavery.
2 Martin Hartley // Jan 31, 2010 at 11:50 am
On a practical level, the bicycles will bring a lot of benefits. So many things that we take for granted in western societies are a daily struggle in these parts of the world. The simple fact is that a bicycle can be a source of employment and income. Suddenly there is work in deliveries, getting food/water, helping move people, not to mention the flow-on effect. There will be work for bicycle mechanics, as well as local tradesmen to build trailers, etc.
The riches of the corporate world is built on the near-slavery of other human beings. Corporations and Executives grow fat and rich off the near-starvation and poverty of millions.
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