According to new research by the environmental organization Mighty Earth, the cocoa contained in chocolate could be driving deforestation across the world.
The organization found a correlation between cocoa exportations and deforestation. Their study focused on four cocoa-producing regions, i.e. Indonesia, Peru, Ecuador and Cameeron. Earlier, an investigation by the Guardian and Mighty Earth itself had already showed that cocoa was driving deforestation in West Africa: they found that swathes of trees had been cleared to plant cocoa.
Etelle Higonnet, the lead researcher, said: “The Ivory Coast and Ghana stand as a cautionary tale of what could happen in other countries where cocoa is spreading, if the industry does not reform its practices.”
After the report was published, some of the world’s biggest chocolate producers signed an agreement with the governments of Ghana and Ivory Coast committing to avoid new deforestation.
But only two top producers, Olam and Hershey’s, said they would commit to deforestation-free cocoa worldwide.