This workshop is open to anyone aged 13 and above — from ETH lecturers and students to teachers, professionals in retail and gastronomy, or simply chocolate lovers curious to better understand the hidden journey behind each bar.
Why is food at the center of so many global challenges? From climate change and biodiversity loss to soil degradation, malnutrition, child labour and the exploitation of seasonal workers — we are all connected to these issues through the meals we eat every day.
In this playful and interactive workshop, we use a beloved “Swiss” product – chocolate – as our entry point to explore global food system challenges. Through a specially designed roleplay game, we follow the cocoa value chain from beans to bars, stepping into the shoes of farmers, industry, retailers, policymakers, and consumers. As each player negotiates trade-offs and confronts tensions between environmental, economic, and social goals, new perspectives emerge on the complexity of building a more sustainable value chain.
The game, originally developed in 2021 by Jon Wirthner and Braida Thom with insights from research at the World Food System Center, has been played with a wide range of audiences – from high school classes to university students and teachers. For Food Day 2025, participants will be among the first to experience the game in a newly revised format.
After playing, we come together for a guided discussion to reflect on the challenges, share possible solutions, and explore what role we as consumers can play in shaping a more sustainable food future.
In collaboration with the Swiss Platform for Sustainable Cocoa.
