Help, the chocolate industry is overflowing with misery
It remains incredibly sour: in an upcoming festive month when we can indulge almost without limits in cocktails, almond-paste pastries (or croquette letters) and chocolate, the recently published Cocoa Barometer shows that at the other end of our chocolate feast (namely among the cocoa farmers themselves), things are in a very bad way. What is the problem?
Unfortunately, it is the same as in previous years, which only goes to show that producers and consumers have been unwilling to do enough to make this a fairer story.
A Sick Industry
Millions of cocoa farmers and their families still live in poverty and face widespread child labor and deforestation. This poverty is the main cause of child labor, and in Ivory Coast and Ghana around one and a half million children do hazardous work. Agricultural chemicals, deforestation and climate change also cause enormous problems, and there is structurally too little support and backing for sustainable solutions. Only those in power in the sector seem to be allowed to have their say, so only the industry is heard, with no voice for local farmers and citizens.
Failures Piling Up
A similar report was also published two years ago, and the current assessment essentially shows that the interventions undertaken over the past twenty years have failed. If the sector as a whole does not learn from this now, it risks repeating the same mistakes. A major problem appears to be that all regulatory efforts have been voluntary and that there are no sanctions at all for failing to meet targets. That really needs to change, as does the lack of transparency and accountability further up the chain, the lack of infrastructure, and cocoa prices that are far too low.
The Way Forward
The report makes three recommendations, and all three are worth fighting for.
- Regulations must be introduced that change the system and do not place responsibility for solutions solely on farmers.
- The countries that consume cocoa must work more closely with the countries that produce it. Consumer countries should finance these partnerships, while producer countries should ensure that civil society and farmers have an important voice in decision-making.
- A fair price for farmers, because that is the greatest incentive to farm sustainably. Governments and businesses must distribute money throughout the supply chain more fairly, so that farmers are guaranteed a living income. And children can be children.
An increasing number of cocoa companies have called for regulation over the past two years, and the EU is working on legislation. Ivory Coast and Ghana are also working to raise prices for farmers, and the entire cocoa sector should now take action.
What Is Going Well, What Could Be Better
A small number of organizations are working to improve conditions, so that you can eat chocolate without a bitter aftertaste. Try to buy chocolate with at least a Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance certification, from, for example, Tony’s Chocolonely or Delicata, and preferably from a bean-to-bar brand that buys sustainable cocoa directly from farmers. Such as chocolate from Chocolatemakers, Original Beans, or Rokbar. The big brands that claim to be doing something about fairness and sustainability? This report shows that it really is not enough yet. And although certification is a small step in the right direction, it is certainly not the solution to all the abuses.
We know it is difficult for consumers to change their habits. But believe us; taking a step toward better chocolate makes us all better off. And it would be immensely admirable if mass producers such as Mars, Ferrero and Nestlé led the fight against chocolate inequality. What they make will be sold anyway. Even if they produce it much more fairly. So: let’s all put our shoulders to the wheel, and then we can enjoy deep-fried Mars bars, fair bars, and, all right, the English version of a half-kilo Ferrero Rocher until the end of time!
Also read:
- New hit: the ‘Chocolate Afternoon Tea’
- Heston’s super-easy chocolate mousse
- Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookies from the Air Fryer ?
Sources: Voice of Organisations in Cocoa, Solidaridad. Read the full cocoa report here.
