With ValentineB次元官网网址檚 Day right around the corner, many are thinking of chocolate B次元官网网址� or at least they will be very soon.

But new research by University of Victoria geographer Sophia Carodenuto poses some questions about the sustainability of this beloved treat.

B次元官网网址淩aising consumer awareness of chocolateB次元官网网址檚 origins, the deforestation it may be causing, and the poverty-stricken cocoa farmers is a priority,B次元官网网址� Carodenuto said.

She has been working with government agencies and cocoa farmers since 2012 to identify options for improving the sustainability of cocoa in three African countries, where an estimated two million farmers produce approximately three-quarters of the worldB次元官网网址檚 cocoa.

READ ALSO:

She , providing specific recommendations for the future of cocoa farming amidst the pressures of climate change, soil erosion and deforestation.

But the business of chocolate is shifting, two years ago 12 of the worldB次元官网网址檚 leading cocoa and chocolate companies made a collective public commitment to end the deforestation associated with cocoa. CarodenutoB次元官网网址檚 paper examines this emerging pledge and looks at its impacts on farmers, domestic political policies and poverty.

B次元官网网址淚f we know where the cocoa beans originated, we will know if the cocoa farm is committed to zero-deforestation practices,B次元官网网址� explained Carodenuto, noting measurement and monitoring of impacts requires supply chain traceability.

READ ALSO:

B次元官网网址淎s it stands, there are no publicly available maps of West AfricaB次元官网网址檚 cocoa farms,B次元官网网址� she added. B次元官网网址淎nd there is a long way to go in the struggle towards deforestation-free cocoa and chocolate. We need to think beyond niche labels such as Fair Trade to address the sustainability of mass-produced chocolate in our cereals and cheap chocolate bars.B次元官网网址�

She pointed to a lack of basic labelling indicating the origins of cocoa in most store-bought chocolate bars and boxes of chocolate and the lack of a significant campaign that would draw public attention to the issues.

Carodenuto outlines a number of recommendations to help cocoa farmers, governments and businesses work together toward sustainable production.

Like us on and follow us on