AGROFORESTRY
Though cocoa has been a major driver of deforestation worldwide, it can become the reverse - an agent of re-greening around the planet.
TOXIC COCOA
Every year, an estimated 44% of all farmers and farm workers suffer acute poisoning by pesticides, that’s 350 million people, with many experiencing multiple incidents each season. Cocoa is no exception. Cocoa farmers and children are also exposed to these hazardous chemicals.
ASSESSING DEFORESTATION AND CLIMATE
West Africa produces 75% of the world’s cocoa, with Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana producing the lion’s share. In the last 60 years, these two African countries have lost around 94% and 80% of their forests, respectively, with approximately one-third of that forest loss to make way for growing cocoa.
CHILD LABOUR IN COCOA FARMING
For 23 years the chocolate industry has been aware of child labor in the growing of cocoa in West Africa and beyond. The worst forms of child labor include work which could harm children’s health or well-being and/or expose them to danger.
THE CHOCOLATE INDUSTRY'S WEALTH DISPARITY: HOW CAN WE FIX IT?
Chocolate is a multi-billion dollar industry, with some of the wealthiest and most powerful companies in the world profiting from it. However, many cocoa farmers, who produce the essential ingredient of the industry, still live in poverty and struggle to earn a living income.
THE SWEET TASTE OF TRACEABLE CHOCOLATE
The chocolate industry has a poor reputation for social and environmental issues such as farmer poverty, child labor, and deforestation. Without transparency and traceability, it's difficult to know if our favourite treat comes from sustainable sources. However, more brands and governments are taking traceability seriously, and collaborations are emerging to capture the traceability of all cocoa production.
Cleaner, Greener Chocolate: Why Agroforestry Is Better For People, Planet, and Farmer’s Pockets
Can we transform cocoa farming to be better for people, planet, and famers' pockets? Agroforestry may provide a way forward! Dive into the ways the chocolate industry can mitigate climate change and compensate for its dirty past on the blog!
In The Fight Against Climate Change, Chocolate Has A Lot To Answer For
Our love for chocolate seems to grow by the year.
However, the not-so-sweet truth is that to create space for new cocoa farms, the chocolate industry is fueling deforestation at an alarming rate, hitting the accelerator on climate change, destroying native habitats, and leaving a bitter taste in our mouths.
Chocolate should be enjoyed by children, not made by them
Increasingly, companies are fighting for children’s rights, establishing systems to prevent child labour. But there is still a long way to go.
On the Be Slavery Free blog we explore how companies can identify child labour, take action when it’s found, and prevent the risk of it happening in the first place.
Chocolate is BIG money, but many farmers are still living in poverty
Chocolate is a multi-billion dollar industry, with some of the wealthiest and most powerful companies in the world profiting from it. However, many cocoa farmers, who produce the essential ingredient of the industry, still live in poverty and struggle to earn a living income.
The (Not So) Great Chocolate Traceability Mystery
Do you know where your chocolate comes from? Unfortunately, approximately half of the cocoa we consume probably can't be traced back to the farmer that grew it. This lack of traceability can contribute to social and environmental harm, such as poverty, child labor, and deforestation. But there is hope. Many companies and governments are starting to take traceability seriously, and there are key steps that we can all take to create positive change. Find out more
Why is child labour still an issue in the Chocolate Industry?
To get to the how of solving the child labour issues in the cocoa growing in West Africa we have to know the why. To find the answer to the why we have to look at the cause.
ANTONIN’S STORY
I met Antonin in Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire as I was walking from my hotel to find an ATM. He crossed the road and walked alongside me and asked, “are you a big man?”. A big man in West Africa is someone who has influence, has some power and is generally considered wealthy. What pursued in his broken English and my very broken French was a discovery of his story.
HOW WE ASSESS TRACEABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY
Cocoa is cheap – dirt cheap, so much so that most cocoa farmers barely eke out an existence. The average cocoa farmer earns under US$1.20 per day, and women cocoa farmers are thought to earn around 50 cents per day.
AGROFORESTRY IN THE CHOCOLATE SCORECARD
Though cocoa has been a major driver of deforestation worldwide, it can become the reverse - an agent of re-greening around the planet.
CHILD LABOUR AND EMERGING TRENDS ON MONITORING SYSTEMS
Around 75% of the world’s cocoa is grown in West Africa. Child labour issues in West Africa for cocoa have been known for over 20 years. According to the NORC Report around 1.56 million children are estimated to be in child labour in two countries alone – Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire.
GRADING AGRICHEMICAL MANAGEMENT
We are facing the sixth mass extinction. Much of this – and in particular the insect apocalypse – is driven by chemicals in agriculture. Thus, we need to see cocoa and chocolate companies reforming their current approaches and implementing practices that do not rely on agrichemical usage.
EARNING A DECENT LIVING THROUGH COCOA - WHY IS IT SO HARD?
People earning a decent living from the work they do is a basic human right.
On the surface this looks simple. So why is it so hard for cocoa farmers to earn a decent living?
ASSESSING DEFORESTATION AND CLIMATE
When biting into a crunchy caramel-filled chocolate candy or savouring the warm aroma from a steaming mug of hot chocolate, many chocolate lovers don’t know where the cocoa ingredients in their chocolates come from, nor the costs that their production can bring on nature and the climate.