AN enormous white inflated mug intrigued children at Hayward's School when a Ghanian cocoa farmer told them about Fairtrade and how cocoa beans are harvested and turned into chocolate.

Not only does Nicholas Kwame Adjei-Gyan grow mainly cocoa on his 10 acre farm, he also works at the Kuapa Kokoo Farmers' Union and is its research and development manager. His father and his grandfather were cocoa farmers.

There are 45,000 cocoa farmers in this co-operative, formed in 1993 and the only farmer-owned company in Ghana. It is based in Kumasi.

Divine Chocolate is a UK chocolate company set up by Kuapa Kokoo, with other partners, to market chocolate products from Kuapa Kokoo, which was certified as a Fairtrade producer organisation in 1995.

Nicholas told the school children how extra income from Fairtrade sales is used: "The social premium from the sales of Fairtrade products means there is something to contribute to the farmers' various projects such as water for the community, health services, schools for young children, day care centres and more. The farmers decide how the money is used."

It also allows schemes such as tie-dye textiles, corn milling and snail farming for local and export markets to be set up to generate an alternative income.

The co-operative's first product, launched in 1998, was Divine milk chocolate. Since then expanding into more products and the name was changed to Divine Chocolate Limited.

"This chocolate is sold in Crediton in shops such as Evans Newsagents," said Nicholas. Laura added that it is also sold at the Hayward's tuck shop and the Fairtrade stands in the town, including the Farmers' Market on the first Saturday of each month.

Nicholas answered many questions from the children. Laura Conyngham, chairman of Crediton Fairtrade Partnership, reminded them that Crediton has renewed Fairtrade status, with a growing number of shops stocking more and more Fairtrade goods.

She explained that the large inflated mug was to encourage people to ask to swap what they buy for Fairtrade goods. Nicholas added: "My message to people here is to ask them to buy more Fairtrade products.