Starter
Show the class the Fairtrade pasta. Ask them if they know what it’s made of and how it is made. Where do they think quinoa can be grown? What conditions might it need?
Main Activity
Part 1
Split the class into groups and give each group a photo which represents a part of the cultivation process. Each group decides:
• What is happening in the photo or what it is a picture of.
• What part of the process of growing quinoa it represents.
Groups feed back their ideas to the class. Working together, the class decides on the chronological process of making pasta. When they have finished, use the teachers' notes to discuss the pictures.
Pupils write a commentary of the pasta process. Younger children or less able groups could use a comic strip or a flow chart to draw the pasta process after putting the photos in the correct order.
Part 2
After the class have completed their commentaries/comic strips/flow charts, discuss what they have learnt about the difficulties of growing quinoa, and how these may impact on farmers and their families.
• A harsh climate and the high altitude of the Andes mean that quinoa is one of the only crops which can be grown in these rural areas.
• Many people are forced to migrate to urban areas in search of work if they cannot fetch a good price for their quinoa.
Part 3
Ask them how Fairtrade can support quinoa farmers?
• Fairtrade ensures that all farmers receive a fair minimum price for their produce.
• The Fairtrade premium is spent on improving farming methods, providing equipment and supporting the local community.
• Fairtrade provides more jobs meaning that people do not have to leave their homes.
Part 4
Pupils write an additional paragraph on their commentaries explaining the benefits of Fairtrade to communities such as those Anapqui works with.
Plenary
Using post-its pupils write down one thing which they have learnt during the lesson.
Some groups may want to continue the activity by writing an interview with a quinoa farmer which explains his work, and the effects of Fairtrade.
