Working conditions in plantations

One of the main features of plantation agriculture is cheap labor. Farmers work the lands owned by multinationals  with their hands in really hard conditions (heat, humidity, long working days…) and they receive very little money in exchange. Sometimes workers are slaves. Many people in the richest countries are not aware that they are consuming products made by slaves (or they prefer not to think about this).

Here you have some links where you can learn more about working conditions in the plantations:

COCOA PLANTATIONS AND CHOCOLATE:

http://www.antislavery.org/english/campaigns/take_action/take_action_on_cocoa.aspx

http://www.johnrobbins.info/blog/is-there-slavery-in-your-chocolate/

http://www.globalexchange.org/blogs/fairtrade/2010/08/04/film-shows-cocoa-child-slavery-continues/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-robbins/is-there-child-slavery-in_b_737737.html

PINEAPPLE PLANTATIONS: 

 http://www.consumersinternational.org/news-and-media/press-releases/2010/10/supermarket-price-wars-wrecking-developing-world-communities,-new-investigation-reveals

http://www.fairfood.org/blog/blog-post/2009/06/29/the-pineapple-sweet-or-sour/

SUGARCANE PLANTATIONS:

http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/09/16/child-labor-sugarcane-plantations-el-salvador-drops-70

RUBBER PLANTATIONS:

http://www.newsfromafrica.org/newsfromafrica/articles/art_10283.html

http://www.samfu.org/downloads/the_heavy_load_2008.pdf

BANANA PLANTATIONS:

http://www.bananalink.org.uk/content/view/79/39/lang,en/

And this is a video that shows some former slaves who worked in a cocoa plantation in the Ivory Coast. They were freed by an antislavery organization. The video is short and it´s subtitled and you won´t find difficulties to understand what their experience was like. I strongly recommend you to watch it: 

What can consumers do to stop abuse and help improving the working conditions of the workers of the plantations?

In developed countries consumers can choose among a large variety of products and their choices can put presure on those multinationals that use cheap or slave labor in their plantations. Choosing a specific brand of chocolate or coffee is a personal decision and everyone has to decide if he/she prefers to buy products  produced by slaves or products made by farmers who receive a fair salary. 

National and international organizations have started boycott campaigns to make the multinationals change their policy towards plantation workers. This is a link that suggests some actions people can start to fight against unfair situations in plantations: 

http://www.antislavery.org/english/campaigns/take_action/take_action_on_cocoa.aspx

And finally, this is a list of places where you can buy fair trade products, that is, products cultivated or made by workers who have been fairly payed and whose rights have been respected. Many of these products are also organic (produced ecologically, respecting the natural cicle and without using chemical fertilizers and pesticides): 

http://www.sellocomerciojusto.org/stakeholders/

Bananas and plantains

This is a very short commercial that shows the main physical differences between what we call "bananas" in Spanish ("plantains" in English) and what we call "plátanos "("bananas" in English):

Plantains are male bananas and they are commonly used to cook. And bananas are the sweet fruit. Here you have an article about plantains: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantain

And here you have a more detailed report about nutritional differences between bananas ("plátanos") and plantains ("bananas"):  

http://www.sportlife.es/front/Nutricion/Platano-de-Canarias-este-mes-sorteamos--lotes/2c90a88c1f6eae79011f6f7aa74400a3

15th of December, 2010

Today we have started checking two exercises from page 42, the exercises were about subsistence and commercial agriculture. The exercises have been corrected by Laura Bustamante and Beatriz Yuste. With this exercises we have learned that subsistence agriculture is oriented to the basic necessities of the farmers, and commercial agriculture is oriented to sold the products in markets. We have seen a powerpoint about rice's plantations in asian countries. In the powerpoint we have also saw the plantation agriculture of coffee, tea, cocoa, pineapples, oil palm an another things. With this powerpoint we have learned that industries like Nestlé use slaves in plantations of cocoa, like the plantations in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Paqui has said that in contries like germany only have legal products of Nestle. Paqui has said that she hasn't buy products of Nestlé. Today Ana has stayed with us.

Source: http://www.taringa.net/posts/salud-bienestar/4743745/_Megapost_-Todo-sobre-el-Chocolate_-Mitos-y-verdades_.html

Hydroponics and aeroponics

Did you know that it´s possible to cultivate plants without soil? These innovative techniques are hydroponics and aeroponics.

Hydroponics consists in growing plants into porous materials, such as sand, pebbles, coconut husk or mineral wool (sponges made from natural or synthetic minerals). These materials allow the roots of the plant to receive water and the nutrient solutions they need to grow.

Source: http://avocado99.wordpress.com/2008/09/06/home-hydroponics%E2%80%94vitamin-supplements/

  

Source: http://www.blackmaxozone.com.au/page.asp?p_id=36

Source: http://www.homehydroponics.info/hydroponics/what-type-of-hydroponics-will-work-the-best-for-tomatoes/

If you want to try hydroponics at home, this link will provide you with the basic information to start: 

http://www.kidsgardening.com/HYDROPONICSGUIDE/hydro5-1-schoolsetups.asp

In aeroponics  the roots of the plants hang in the open air. Farmers spray the roots by providing the plants with all the nutrients they need to grow.  

Source: http://www.odec.ca/projects/2005/lees5s0/public_html/index.html

The Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development (Neiker-Tecnalia) has developed a project in collaboration with Newco, a company specialized in producing potatoes. They have obtained the first harvests of aeroponic potatoes.

Source: http://www.interempresas.net/Horticola/Articulos/45585-Las-patatas-ya-no-necesitan-tierra-para-crecer.html

If you want to get more information about aeroponic potatoes, visit the following links:

http://www.potatopro.com/Lists/News/DispForm.aspx?ID=4513

http://www.fruitandveggie.com/content/view/3413/61/

13th of December, 2010

Hello! Sorry, I couldn't write the journal before.

Today, Kelly has been in the class but she has arrived a bit late. We have started the class checking one exercise from the previous day about the types of rural habitats. It was very easy. Then, Paqui has turned on the computer and we have seen a powerpoint about the types of agriculture. In this powerpoint, we have learned with pictures what is the subsistence agriculture and commercial agriculture. The subsistence agriculture is a type of agriculture whose farmers produce all they need to survive and another type is commercial agriculture that consists in produced to sell the products on the market. Paqui has explained the slash and burn agriculture and that this includes deforestation too. She has explained the differences between that system of fertilization and the extensive dry-land agriculture. After that, we have seen the wet rice agriculture which is mostly practice in China, India, etc. We have also seen two types of commercial agriculture: specialized agriculture that is dedicated to monoculture in large estates (wheat, corn, cotton...) and the mediterranean that includes vines, wheat and olive trees (Dry-land products) and fruit and vegetables (Irrigated crops). Then, we have written on the glossary some new words from the vocabulary, like: Fallow-barbecho, Rice paddy-arrozal, To harvest- cosechar, To reap-segar, Slash-tala, and the literal meaning of: Slash and burn agriculture- agricultura itinerante sobre rozas o cenizas. Finally, Paqui has given us two exercises for homework.

I think this class has been very interesting because agriculture is one of the most important things here, so it's very important to know all its types to distinguish which of them we have... etc.

Here is the powerpoint that we have not finished:

Types of Agriculture

Bye bye!

Challenge number 1

This first challenge will consist in guessing the names in English of some of the most common tools and machines used in agriculture. There are some tools you know from last year and some new ones. Please, leave your answers: 

NUMBER 1

NUMBER 2

NUMBER 3

NUMBER 4

NUMBER 5

NUMBER 6

NUMBER 7

NUMBER 8

NUMBER 9

NUMBER 10

NUMBER 11

NUMBER 12

And this last photograph shows one of the most common images in the countryside. What´s this?

We´ll give the correct answers on Monday. Cheer up with the search!

Friday,December,10,2010

Today in Social Sciences we have checked the activities from last day. Then we have seen a Powerpoint presentation about "Agrarian landscapes".

In the powerpoint we have seen many things like:

                                                               

 -Bocages.

Source:  http://www.pnr-armorique.fr/Decouvrir/Le-patrimoine-naturel/Milieux-remarquables/Bocage     

-Monoculture.

Source: http://holisticfoundations.blogspot.com/2011/02/get-to-know-your-food-polyculture-or.html

-dry-land crop.

Source: http://www.mispueblos.es/castilla_la_mancha/cuenca/bolliga/fotos/

-irrigated crops.

Source: http://www.featurepics.com/online/IrrigatingCropsPhotos76156.aspx

-Drip irrigation

Source: http://www.featurepics.com/online/IrrigatingCropsPhotos76156.aspx 

In my opinion the Powepoint presentation was very interesting :)

Then we have seen same interesting pictures.

When the Powerpoint presentation finished, we have started the next point of the unit "Types of agriculture",

Paqui has said that will be intresting. 

After that we have read and paqui has explained us some thinks.Finally paqui has given us one exercise of the review on the page 42 and read the examples of subsistence agriculture on the page 32 and 33 for homework.

GOOD WEEKEND ;)

Agrarian landscapes

This is a Powerpoint presentation to review all the concepts we learned about agrarian landscapes last Friday. Pay special attention to irrigation techniques. See you next Friday.

Agrarian Landscapes

View more presentations from papefons.

FRIDAY 3rd OF DECEMBER

Today we have followed with the unit 3. We have corrected the two exercises of physical factors in agriculture. We have also given human factors, and this has helped us to get more information. Some people have read the agrarian landscapes and its elements and Paqui has explained it. There are five types and with these different types we have seen some fotographies identifying their main elements.Also we have learned new words and we have written in the glossary. Finally Paqui has given us exercises for the long weekend. Today this class has been interesting.

HAPPY LONG WEEKEND!!!!!!

Image source: http://sustainability.formas.se/en/Issues/Issue-3-October-2009/Content/In-brief1/The-Rural-Landscapes-of-Europe--How-man-has-shaped-European-nature/

WEDNESDAY 1ST DECEMBER 2010

THE PRIMARY SECTOR

Today in Social Sciences Paqui has given us the exams.

The exam was about economy. It was not to difficult. I've gotten  a 9.2.

One interesting thing is that Laura Muñoz has gotten a 10 in the exam, and in Social Sciences and with Paqui it is very difficult. Very good Laura! Congratulations!

Afterwards we have asked all our questions about the exam

("You have made a mistake, Paqui"; "you have not calculate the mark properly" and all this types of questions) Paqui  has collected the exams. All of them were more or less OK.

Afterwards we've started Unit 3 about the Primary sector, this unit is not so interesting like Unit 2, but it is a good unit.

We have read the page 30 on the book and we have checked the excercises one and two that we had for homework.

Afterwards we have copied some notes on the blackboard. One new thing we have learnt today is that mining is not a activity from the Primary sector, because the minerals need a transformation and all the transformation of raw materials are activities included in the Secondary sector.

That's all.

Bye, bye
PS:
Sorry  for the delay we were  buying Cristina's present.

Image source: http://www.cvresumesample.com/agriculture-instructor-resume.html/agriculture-2