The bittersweet realities of chocolate production on Valentine’s Day
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In 1861, Richard Cadbury — son of John Cadbury, the founder of the Cadbury chocolate brand — created the first heart-shaped box of chocolates with the intention of increasing sales around Valentine’s Day. This time of year, especially, we see chocolate-filled heart boxes covering the aisles — more than 36 million of these heart-shaped boxes are sold annually, amounting to 58 million pounds of chocolate.
The brands of chocolate we see in the grocery stores have originated from the Western world — Godiva in Belgium, Ghiradelli in Italy, Cadbury in the United Kingdom, Russel Stover in Colorado and Hershey in Pennsylvania. Yet, what makes the majority Western production of this product unusual is that the continental United States doesn’t have the proper climate to produce cocoa.
Europe has a similar problem, also not having the necessary climate to support such a crop on a large scale. (Although Spain has recently started Europe’s first significant cocoa crop, its yield is nowhere near what is needed to produce chocolate at the scale it is consumed).
To account for this climate difference, Western chocolate companies source their cocoa from various parts of the tropical world, or countries along or near the equator. West Africa as a whole accounts for 80% of total global cacoa production, with just Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire making up 60% of the total. Due to the grand-scale at which the cocoa is harvested and exported, cocoa is a major component of the country’s gross domestic product.
Sourcing cocoa in these countries, although a major source of GDP, has a not-so-sweet side to it. Although the chocolate industry is a $130 billion industry, many farmers earn less than one dollar each day. Because of this low wage, farmers often cannot afford to bear the costs of farming cocoa beans and turn to child labor.
As the public has become more aware about this topic, larger companies have begun efforts to make their chocolate supply chain more ethical and sustainable. Godiva, for example, has taken measures to ensure 100% of its sourcing in West Africa is monitored for child labor.
Now, with the warming climate, these areas along the equator are facing the most grave temperature changes and simultaneous deforestation, damaging cocoa pod development and reducing crop yields.
The deforestation, which results from creating cocoa crops across vast amounts of land, releases carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, further contributing to global warming. Deforestation creates a positive feedback loop, meaning that warming will continue until the deforestation comes to a halt. Right now, 94% of the Côte d’Ivoire’s forest has been cleared, one-third of which can be allocated for cocoa crops.
Chocolate, in comparison to other foods, is greenhouse gas emissions heavy. Each kilogram emits 19 kg of carbon dioxide in return. The majority of chocolate emissions stem from the change in land use necessary to develop agriculture operations. The second most emissions intensive aspect of chocolate production is the livestock farming elements. Within livestock operations, ruminant animals (cows, sheep, goats) produce methane within their digestive processes and in turn emit this methane into the atmosphere. Methane is estimated to be responsible for 25% of the warming we see today.
To curb deforestation and limit unethical farming, there have been efforts made to sustainability source cocoa for multinational companies in countries in West Africa. For example, Cadbury sources its cocoa through Cocoa Life, an organization that works together with locals to ensure most sustainable practice. Cadbury is looking to have all of its products 100% sustainably sourced by 2025.
As a consumer, the responsibility isn’t on you to ensure that the world’s chocolate industry is ethically and sustainably sourced. Instead, your responsibility lies in your choice of product. (Of course relative to your economic situation). So, when shopping for chocolate, look for certification that verifies that the chocolate meets standards regarding sustainability, fair wages, safe working conditions and environmental stewardship. These certifications include Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, UTZ, and Direct Trade.
Small changes in personal purchasing habits have the potential to facilitate a greater change.
Besides chocolate, there are plenty of other opportunities to exercise sustainable practices during this Valentine’s season. There is nothing more meaningful than a homemade gift, giving you an opportunity to practice your crafting or cooking skills. Holidays tend to intensify marketing influence and, socially speaking, we want to buy, buy, buy, to prove how much we love our significant other. In reality, love is not found on the shelves of a Target or a Bloomingdales, or in material possessions. Get creative!
Izzy Kaufman is a sophomore International Relations and Environment, Sustainability and Policy major as well as the Co-Director of the Student Association’s Sustainability Forum. Her column appears bi-weekly. She can be reached at akaufm08@syr.edu.
