User:Ericabohdan/sandbox

Final draft

Bold = edits made

 Process of farming

Cocoa farming can only occur 15 degrees north or south of the Equator. It can take approximately three years after planting for the trees to be fruitful enough to harvest the pods. Cocoa pods are pollinated by tiny flies called midges. Ripe cocoa pods, which are yellow in colour, are then cut down from the trees using a machete. Use of a machete in this fashion, termed machete technology, prevents disease from spreading among cocoa pods, and thereby decreases the need for pesticides. The pods can be very low on branches and easily accessible or higher up on thick branches. Once they are gathered, they are sliced open and the cocoa beans are extracted from the pods. The beans are then spread out, usually between banana leaves, for a number of days to ferment. Next, the seeds are placed in the sun to dry for several more days. After drying, they are gathered, placed into bags and taken to collection offices. From there, they are shipped around the world to be processed into end products.

 Shade-grown Cacao

Cacao pods evolved to grow in the shade of a highly biodiverse rainforest canopy. It has been suggested that Cocoa farmers go back to the original and natural ways of farming, by planting within the natural tree-cover and without cutting down existing trees. When an area has already been clearcut another possibility exists. Planting trees, especially fruit filled trees around and within the plantation, helps with growth of Cacao plants. These trees can provide shade to the Cacao plants and be a source of oxygen replenishment to the environment. Additionally, planting cacao under taller trees protects the more fragile cacao from direct sunlight, which greatly reduces the length of its productivity and makes the cacao tree more vulnerable to disease. Another benefit of such companion planting is the increase in potential habitats for birds and insects. If the shade trees are fruit-bearing, this can also provide additional income to the farmer. However, simplifying such shade-cover may threaten biodiversity. Therefore, maintaining the complexity of shade structures is paramount in combatting losses of biodiversity.

Expanding draft

Environmental effects of cocoa production

Planning to:

• add to Process of farming section
  • Machete technology is a process used by farmers in which diseased pods are cut from cacao trees with a machete.
    • This technology helps to prevent disease from reaching other pods and trees, thereby decreasing the need for pesticides.
  • how trees may be used to aid production
    • Because cacao trees grow best in partial shade, they are ideally planted underneath taller plants such as banana trees or coconut trees.
    • The taller plants protect the more fragile cacao tree from the effects of direct sunlight, which greatly reduces the length of its productivity and makes the cacao tree more vulnerable to disease.
    • Companion planting also provides shelter for birds and insects.
  • info on cocoa pollinators
    • Tiny flies called midges typically pollinate cocoa pods.
  • source: http://www.worldagroforestry.org/treesandmarkets/inaforesta/documents/agrof_cons_biodiv/Ch.3-Growing-Cocoa-Beans.pdf
• add to Shade-grown cocoa section
  • with details from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10531-007-9195-1
  • ^^expand upon how, specifically, shade-grown cocoa contributes to biodiversity

Finalizing topic

Environmental effects of cocoa production

Planning to:

• add to Process of farming section
  • (details such as "machete technology"),
  • how trees may be used to aid production
  • info on cocoa pollinators
  • source: http://www.worldagroforestry.org/treesandmarkets/inaforesta/documents/agrof_cons_biodiv/Ch.3-Growing-Cocoa-Beans.pdf
• add to Shade-grown cocoa section
  • with details from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10531-007-9195-1
  • ^^expand upon how, specifically, shade-grown cocoa contributes to biodiversity

Potential topics

The Humane Society of the United States

Fair trade coffee

International Coffee Agreement

Environmental effects of cocoa production

Genetically modified food controversies

Critique an article

The article I read was called "Fair trade". Each fact is referenced with an appropriate, reliable source. Most references were from neutral, published journals. Everything in the article does seem relevant to the topic; it all adds information about fair trade in some way. There wasn't really anything in the article that was distracting or random. The article is very neutral, addressing multiple perspectives (proponents and criticisms of fair trade); there does not appear to be any particular bias as the material equally addresses both views. The links to references do work, and it looks like there is no close paraphrasing or plagiarism in the article. Some of the information in the article is out of date, such as the Annual report by Fair Trade International on consumer trust of fair trade products, which is cited as being from 2011-2012. It doesn't look like any important information is missing from the article.