Chocolate is, in fact,one of the least environmentally-friendlyfoods we eat.
Experts in This Article
Antoine Ambert is the Senior Director of Innovation and Sustainability at Alter Eco.
Bill Guyton is Executive Director of the Fine Chocolate Industry Association.
Given that we are in the midst of aclimate emergency, this is no small matter.
Human activity has already driven the temperature of the globe torise 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.
And this, says climate psychologistMargaret Klein Salamon, PhD, will make the planet exponentially less survivable.
Antoine Ambert is the Senior Director of Innovation and Sustainability at Alter Eco.
At this point, none of this likely comes as a shock to you.
And much of it is not.
More specifically,tackling deforestation involves three key initiativesas outlined the Cocoa & Forests Initiative.
Both of these changes would help reduce pressure on forests.
And finally, decreased deforestation must include engagement and empowerment of cocoa-growing communities.
Thatshighly detrimental to the animals who once called those trees home, but its bad for us, too.
Losing forests means losing a massive opportunity to lower carbon emissions in the atmosphere.
These forests are often replacedin Africa and elsewhere that cocoa is grownwith monoculture farms that only produce cocoa.
This strategy also requires much heavier use of herbicides and pesticides, he adds.
Antoine Ambert is the Senior Director of Innovation and Sustainability at Alter Eco.
Most of these farmers arent paid by chocolate companies directly.
Cocoa farming is also known for beingheavy in child labor.
This work is treacherous.
Ambert notes that in West Africa, even some Fair Trade-certified cocoahas been shownto result from child labor.
(Spoiler: He was not prosecuted, but it was good publicity for the cause.)
All hope is not lost, however.
There are solutions, they just arent easy to implement on a large scale.
Most obviously, brands need to take control of their supply chain to better regulate farming practices.
This then allows them to help farmers grow cocoa crops more sustainably.
Many of them are doing this by advocating for shade-growing cocoa crops, which helps to prevent soil erosion.
Its better for the humans doing the labor, too, says Ambert.
bananas, mangoes, pineapple, cassava, yucca, sweet potato, tamarind, and turmeric.
Plus, these companies can actually oversee farmers to ensure they dont use child labor more broadly.
Ideally, this will protect the farmers livelihood long-term.
It will also help ensure the worlds supply of chocolate doesnt evaporate entirely.
Its also why big brands have yet to follow suit.
What is needed is not just individual company programs that are kind of spotty, says Guyton.
And realistically, no one expects you to stop buying chocolate altogether.
Below, find nine companies that fit the bill.
There are literally zero middlemen in our supply chain, says McCollum.
We open our factory door and farmers deliver their cocoa right to us.
Most chocolate, he explains, tastes the same; its made from whats known as commodity cocoa.
Though he lived in the U.K., his family in Ghana had owned chocolate farms for generations.
And we have a three pillar roadmap to get to this mission.
The second pillar is to lead the industry by example.
All of their chocolate is traceable.
And finally, the third pillar is grow the good theyre doing by sharing their practices with interested partners.
So we did work on setting up due diligence systems for traceability, and itispossible.
In other words, this partnership is proving it can be done, even at a large scale.
All packaging made by the company is plastic-free and recyclable, too.
mangoes, cassava, etc.).
practices beyond their company, and even beyond the cocoa industry.
In fact, the company doesnt use any artificial sugars.
Additionally, Loving Earths chocolates are dairy-free, made in a solar-powered factory, and wrapped in compostable packaging.
In 2020, all of the cocoa they purchased came from one specific community in the DRC.
Divine Chocolate Chocolate Lovers Variety, 6-Pack $22.00
Divine Chocolate has a unique backstory.
It was founded in the 1990s in partnership with a large co-op of farmers in Ghana.
They do not use any artificial flavors, palm oil, or soy.
It was born after its eponymous founder awoke from a dream and decided to become a chocolatier.
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