We’re still eating it!

How much chocolate did you eat at Easter?

Our kids always look forward to their yearly Easter-egg hunt. Luckily, they share some of it – if we ask!

Let’s find out more about the journey of chocolate!

👉Where does chocolate come from?

-Côte d’Ivoire is by far the largest cacao producer with almost 40% of the world’s production!

-Followed by Ghana at 14%, then Indonesia at 13%

-The remaining big producers (between 4-6%): Nigeria, Ecuador, Cameroon and Brazil

👉From cacao to chocolate

-In summary: growing, harvesting, fermentation, drying, roasting, grinding, transportation, making chocolate, refrigeration & packaging.

👉Carbon footprint

-In a lot of cases forests are cleared (biodiversity loss, chopping = CO2 and less trees to absorb CO2)

-Bad luck has it that the cacao trees grow well in forested areas (especially at higher altitudes)

-Deforestation reduces soil fertility, so the trees have to be planted elsewhere within a decade

This is only the planting part. The other stages also have an environmental impact.

-Dark chocolate needs the most cacao, but milk chocolate has the obvious ingredient of milk in it. This goes to the methane emissions story (see Friday Find post on methane & my magic of plants blog)

🙌But sustainability in the journey of chocolate making is growing

-The EU launched an initiative, in west Africa, to make sourcing, prepping and transport more sustainable. How?

-Transparency to monitor processes, work on reforestation/forest protection (through agroforestry where trees, crops and livestock benefit each other – plus, the trees grow well in the shade!)

-Fair-trade factors: stop child labour and trafficking and enabling farmers/producers to have a fair income

-The UN’s Development Programme has partnered-up with the government of the Dominican Republic to implement better practices with the farmers and others in the supply chain.

-Colombian Chocolate manufacturer, Luker’s Chocolate, implemented its first agroforestry plantation in 2011. It grew to house 480K cocoa trees and over 300 animals and bird species. Luker’s has reproduced this model and works with chocolate brands globally.

🙌Chocolate brands

Chocolatiers are well aware of the sustainability issues, so more and more brands are helping the movement.

-Original Beans (Swiss)

The founder set out to set-up a sustainable chocolate brand and works with thousands of part-time and full-time farmers. 1 bar purchased = 1 tree planted. Its products are actually CO2 negative.

There are others, of course! Divine Chocolate (UK), Alter Eco (French), Endangered Species Chocolate (US)…

😉I leave you with this: is it ‘cacao’ or ‘cocoa’?

-Cacao = the raw material – it’s where the tree and beans get their name from

-Cocoa = the treated cacao – after it is roasted and powdered.

While you are here, have a look at my services to see how I can help you on your eco journey! 

Sources: Eurostat, The Earthbound Report, California Cultured, European Commission, UNDP, Luker’s Chocolate, Kekao & The Good Trade