Deforestation and the Cocoa Industry
A really great read on the cocoa industry and how it has changed landscapes through deforestation and illegally grown cocoa. It is estimated that at least 17% of the worlds yearly cocoa harvest comes from protected areas.
The World Cocoa Foundation’s (WCF) president, Mighty Earth’s campaign director and the managing director of NGO the Voice Network have responded to a recent Mighty Earth report that found cocoa-led deforestation is rife.
The report claimed cocoa production has been responsible for a quarter of 291,254 acres of protected forests cleared in Côte d’Ivoire between 2001 and 2014 and 7,000 square kilometers of forest lost in Ghana over the same time, equivalent to 10% of its entire tree cover.
Three national news organizations – The Guardian in the UK, Der Spiegel in Germany and RFI in France – this month broke news from the report that these practices were endangering chimpanzee and elephant populations.
For the full article, read: The final cut: What can the chocolate industry really do to halt cocoa deforestation? from Confectionery News.