The Bitter Truth About Chocolate

From cookies to cakes, chocolate has been a world-wide flavor that has been loved by millions. For centuries, the cocoa bean has been used to sweeten food and drinks. The truth of how it’s sourced is more bitter than sweet. The cocoa bean, also known as the creator of chocolate, runs the 130.7-billion-dollar industry that creates the brands we know and love. Getting these beans is easier said than done. Even after the sun sets, hardworking farmers endure laborious work and often dangerous work environments for an unfair wage, while the industry they work for profits enormously.

Located in the Ivory Coast and Ghana, these places produce over two-thirds of cocoa beans used worldwide. Surprisingly, Africa only produces 1% of the world’s chocolate, while the US and Europe produce the other 99% — also receiving most of the revenue from chocolate. This is because most of the cacao produced from Africa gets shipped out because of the lack of proper infrastructure to produce chocolate within the country and a lack of a dairy industry as well.

Most workers who farm cacao beans are not there by choice. As many as 1.1 million children are made to work on cacao farms for little to no pay, often illegally. Farmers on cacao farms spend all day cracking open each cacao pod, extracting the beans from them. Their hard labor, however, is unappreciated. The average farmer in Ghana makes $2 a day. 70% of cacao producers live under the poverty line, earning just enough to stay alive, and never enough to try chocolate.

Will the illegal labor behind chocolate ever stop? Or will it continue on? Mars, a well-known chocolate brand loved by millions, has spotlighted this issue. Mars is the creator of big names such as M&Ms and Snickers and sources about 8% of all cacao produced. Mars has addressed deforestation and child labor, and they have grown their infrastructure to support this idea of change and better sustainability for both the ecosystem and their workers. Slowly, many other companies such as Hershey’s and Nestle have implemented rules and regulations to make a difference in cacao production. Chocolate farming will always be an issue, but with more initiative, the cacao industry can change for the better. Next time you bite into a chocolate bar, you might taste the bitter after the sweetness.

Sources:

https://hopeforjustice.org/news/how-can-you-ensure-your-chocolate-is-free-from-child-labour/ https://youtu.be/g6a6o10ouZ0?si=vzhXaucdlu_uioAZ