Behind the Wrapper: Greenwashing in the Chocolate Industry by Etelle Higonnet, Glenn Hurowitz, Abdul Tejan Cole, Alex Armstrong, and Liviya James
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Behind the Wrapper: Greenwashing in the Chocolate Industry by Etelle Higonnet, Glenn Hurowitz, Abdul Tejan Cole, Alex Armstrong, and Liviya James 1 Discovery of an illegal cocoa crop in the Cavally classified Forest, with park ranger CHOCOLATE GREENWASHING (continued) and that big companies as well as the governments of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana hold responsibility The Ivorian and Ghanaian governments have for this continued – but avoidable – destruction. clearly failed to clamp down on this ongoing We discovered many new deforestation ‘hotspots’. deforestation, and the industry, despite public Indeed, in Côte d’Ivoire’s Southwest cocoa heartland commitments, continued to buy cocoa from alone, deforestation in 2018 so far is 13,748 ha, suppliers connected to deforestation. equivalent to 15,000 football fields, not much less than the 21,000 football fields recorded in 2017, or The cocoa industry and the governments the 13,000 football fields of forest lost in 2016. must immediately address the unacceptable discrepancy between their commitments and While some companies and local authorities their implementation. Industry and governments have taken actions to limit deforestation, and some should expedite serious joint monitoring alongside areas saw improvements, we nonetheless documented civil society efforts, and they must do so before that farmers who engaged in deforestation for cocoa the next deforestation “danger season.” That were still able to openly sell their cocoa without danger season is when deforestation peaks every repercussions. Farmers we caught openly clearing year, and it runs from January to April. It is forest for cocoa told us that they did not face sanctions, right around the corner. We need action now. discontinued supply chains, or even warnings from the CHOCOLATE GREENWASHING buyers in Cargill’s and other companies’ supply chains. Will the cocoa industry and producer countries live up to their promises to save forests? GOOD NEWS: COCOA PRODUCTION ne year ago, the world’s largest chocolate from inside national parks and protected areas. and cocoa companies stood beside Cocoa workers averaged incomes of less than one IS SHIFTING TOWARDS Orepresentatives of Côte d’Ivoire and dollar per day. And much of the cocoa was grown in Ghana, the two largest cocoa-producing countries, monocultures without shade and with lots of pesticides, DEFORESTATION-FREE MODELS and committed to transform their industry by aggravating already severe environmental problems. ending deforestation linked to the production ince November 2017, most major chocolate companies like Lindt, Hershey’s, Nestle, and Barry of cocoa, and to protect human rights. The chocolate industry’s November 2017 manufacturers and cocoa traders committed to Callebaut have global deforestation-free policies declaration promised a more sustainable future, so zero deforestation in West Africa in the Cocoa for all their cocoa. At the time of writing, some of The commitment was urgently needed. As that chocolate lovers could finally enjoy their guilty S & Forests Initiative (CFI) “Frameworks”. Throughout the world’s largest chocolate companies like Mars Mighty Earth first chronicled in our exposé pleasure without a guilty conscience. At the time, 2018, over thirty CFI corporate signatories have and Ferrero Rocher say they are in the midst of Chocolate’s Dark Secret, (http://www.mightyearth. Mighty Earth praised the companies and country been developing their individual CFI action plans drafting global deforestation-free policies for all org/chocolatesdarksecret/), Côte d’Ivoire has commitments as among the best of any private sector laying out their company’s actions and investments, their cocoa – though they have not yet done so. lost approximately 90 percent of its forests since initiative aimed at protecting the environment. to fulfill their Framework Commitments. They independence, driving species like forest elephants In the lead-up to the one year anniversary, we’ve will publish their action plans by February 2019. Numerous companies including Hershey’s and and chimpanzees to the brink of extinction; deployed a combination of satellites, drones, and Ecom are piloting tree tenure projects to incentivize deforestation for cocoa in Ghana has been so extensive on-the-ground field teams to check up on how (and Courageous companies have even extended their farmers to plant trees in Ghana. Even more that the country could lose all of its forests outside whether) these commitments are being implemented. commitments worldwide. Today more than half of encouragingly, a steady stream of companies such as of protected areas. In Côte d’Ivoire, big chocolate the cocoa traded and the chocolate manufactured Lindt, Cemoi, Godiva, and Hershey’s have committed brands like Ferrero Rocher, Mars, and Cadbury Unfortunately, we found that despite the in the world is covered by global deforestation-free to joining the ranks of best-in-class companies like were buying from irresponsible traders like Cargill promises made by industry and government, forest commitments. Despite the foot-dragging of laggards Halba by switching all of their cocoa supply from that sourced up to 40 percent of the nation’s cocoa destruction in West Africa for cocoa has continued, like Cadbury, SucDen, and Touton, progressive (continued on next page) 2 BEHIND THE WRAPPER 3 GOOD NEWS: COCOA PRODUCTION IS SHIFTING TOWARDS GHANA PROGRESS REPORT DEFORESTATION-FREE MODELS (continued) o assess the impact of the Cocoa and Forests Despite these steps, and the strong national destructive full-sun monoculture plantations to approved their CFI National Implementation Plans Initiative, we conducted analysis of remote support for conservation and restoration, we found eco-friendly shade-grown cocoa, though Cadbury in June/July 2018, which spell out the key actions Tsensing data across national parks and other through satellite mapping that deforestation is still and a few others still refuse to change. Full- to tackle deforestation. The Ivorian MINEF is in protected areas in the cocoa-growing region in Côte continuing in Ghana, seemingly for cocoa. Inside 1 sun cocoa prevents the growth of other species, the process of finalizing a new Forest Code and d’Ivoire and Ghana. Although our field investigation the Tinte Bepo ,Tonton, and Tano Ofin Forest and creates a biodiversity wasteland – a food guidelines which will promote cocoa agroforestry covered only Côte d’Ivoire, we undertook meetings Reserves, for example, we found new deforestation, desert for birds, bats, bees, and other living for environmental and farmer benefits. The and some satellite mapping for both countries. which appears to be mostly for cocoa, though not all things. In contrast, densely shaded agroforestry government of Ghana is also developing technical the recently deforested land has yet been planted. retains important benefits of a natural forest. recommendations to promote cocoa agroforestry. What is striking about our interviews in Ghana Tano Ofin Extension lost 124 ha of forest, Tinte is that the whole country, from cocoa farmers to Bepo lost 23 ha, and Tonton Reserve lost 18 ha. For the first time, supermarket chains like Cocoa producing countries outside of West traditional kings to high-level national government Tesco, Marks & Spencer, and Sainsbury have started Africa have also reacted positively to reforms in officials to civil society, seem united behind the goal Because Ghana’s cocoa goes through its forming an industry-wide supermarket initiative the industry. This summer, Colombia became the of ending deforestation for cocoa and restoring national Cocobod, cocoa grown on these deforested committed to do their part to end deforestation in first Latin American nation to embrace a national the country’s natural resources. The Cocoa and areas is likely to make its way to major cocoa the chocolate supply chain, as well as tackle broader deforestation-free cocoa plan in its own Framework Forests Initiative is a real point of pride. companies like Produce Buying Company (PBC) sustainability and human rights issues. Since for Action. Governments, civil society, and businesses and Olam, unless it is immediately restored. retailers benefit from a large share of the profits in Brazil, Belize, Bolivia, Cameroon, and Liberia Ghana has undertaken a number of positive in the cocoa supply chain, it is encouraging to have begun discussions about creating similar systems steps like beginning to overhaul its tree tenure law, It is clear that despite important progress, and its see them finally engage and take responsibility in for their nations as well. This lays the foundations and committing funds to monitor deforestation relatively strong improvements in governance, Ghana addressing major problems bedeviling the industry. for more robust protection of the global frontier. for cocoa. In addition, the government-controlled must redouble efforts to ensure its protected areas Ghana Cocoa Board (Cocobod) is shifting remain protected, stop deforestation outside PAs, Industry reforms were met by governmental Chocolate consumers are stepping up too. away from recommending environmentally and restore large parts of its landscape to forests. improvements too: in one year, the governments In the European Union, parliamentarians and destructive full-sun monocultures towards more of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana have made major civil society have begun pressing for a mandatory sustainable shade-grown, agroforestry cocoa. strides. Through the multi-stakeholder governance