For a Few Pesos More is a wonderful animated music video, and a perfect way to introduce people to the injustices of "Free Trade" and the alternative justice of "Fair Trade." The video was created by the British Association for Fair Trade Shops (BAFTS) in coordination with Pangea (Rome, Italy) with co-financing from the European Union. A comprehensive teacher and facilitator guide is available for download but view this video first.

Reach And Teach discovered this great animation through the Fair Trade Resource Network in Washington D.C. and have been in touch with them and BAFTS about making it available to our web site visitors. Please consider making a donation to either of those organizations to help with their great work.

All year long the farmer tills his soil
To harvest a product that’s as precious as oil
One year’s work without hope or means
What did he get for his coffee beans?
Just three pesos, pesos just three
For one year’s work and his crop of coffee.

The guy who buys his coffee doesn’t speak his lingo
He’s a smooth talking, hard selling, tight-fisted gringo…
If it’s cotton, bananas, cocoa and café
What do you think he gets for his pay?
Three thousand pesos, a thousand times three,
For a quick slick chat to buy some coffee. (Repeat)

Cotton, bananas, cocoa and coffee
take a month to cross the wide blue seas
the London dealer gets three million clean
For a two second sale on his PC screen.
The sweatshop boss yells from his office:
“Lay off some workers! We’re losing our profits!”,
he looks at his Rolex – it’s getting late –
back home to a mansion on his country estate.

3000 pesos are no longer enough;
Now it starts at a million and (it) keeps going up. (Repeat)

A scientist arrives from the US of A
and studies our bean in a whole new way.
“Try out this spray with added genes.
It’ll make it grow better – though it won’t be too clean.”

The TV ads use a famous star,
who struts her stuff for a coffee jar
with flying coffee beans in a sexy pose
she gets a cheque with seven zeros.

One little bean of all that coffee
Costs more than farmer, field and crop all three. (Repeat)

The smooth exporter… plays his trick
The London trader… gets rich quick
The sweatshop boss… puts his feet up
The US expert… rejects his cup
Manager, actress, banker, ad-man… are happier and richer than beforehand.
But all the work done by the poor farm hick
Earns just three pesos – and one penny tip. (Repeat)

One way we can improve the global plot
is to treat people fairly and improve their lot.

Part of the world has been plundered for years
by those who don’t care for their victim’s tears,
the only things that turn these cheaters on
are stock-exchange prices, not human lives gone.
But lucky for you, in trade these days
We can show you a better way out of this maze. (Repeat)

Another farmer worked a year on his lands.
Instead of going to market he took power in his hands
By meeting someone else, just a guy down to earth,
someone who pays him what his work is worth,
he knows that an hour should be paid just the same,
for an ordinary farmer or a famous name.
His goods are now sold in ‘Fair Trade Shops’,
that pay a proper price for work and crops. (Repeat)
Outside the trap of the free trade maze
united in the justice of the fair trade ways. (Repeat)

Original Italian lyrics: Dario Iacobelli
Italian executive producer: Marco Massa
Music: Daniele Sepe
Animation: Maurizio Forestieri (Graphilm, Matitaly Consortium)
UK executive producer: Richard Holgarth
English translation: Simon Knight
Further adaptation of lyrics: Jokey Lloyd & James O’Hanlon
UK singers: PaulHoward/Sarah Ross

Click here to download the teacher/facilitator guide with activities designed for 8-11 year olds, 11-14 year olds, and High Schoolers and adults.

Reach And Teach loves finding treasures like this and making sure they get the promotion they deserve and continue to get used months and years after the campaign for which they were created has ended. Do you know of other treasures like this? Does your organization have a training guide used for some special action or campaign that is now just gathering dust in a closet? Please let us know if you do and we'll help keep that treasure alive. Contact us at info -at- reachandteach.com (you know the drill) and let us know about lost treasures.

Check out our Mayan Arts and Crafts of Guatemala coloring book as another great way to teach about Fair Trade!