a year Ago there was some hope for the rain forests in West Africa, as the cocoa producers and the governments of Ghana and the ivory coast promised improvement. They wanted to stop the deforestation, national parks protect and also the workers a fair deal and pay, promised at the UN climate change conference in Bonn, Germany.
The industry had decided, after the US organization had uncovered the Mighty Earth in a much-publicized report grievances and to the parties Involved especially show how much rain forest left in West Africa due to the cocoa production has already been lost. Companies like Lindt and Hershey’s, two giants in the business, established the Cocoa and Forest Initiative (CFI) and celebrated their promise to the media.
deforestation in Ghana: a comparison of the years 2001 and 2017. Red points indicate deforested areas. (Source: Mighty Earth)
In October, nearly a year after the agreement, controlled the Mighty Earth the progress. The organization is compared on the one hand, satellite images and made a picture on the spot.
The results were sobering. So, the deforestation in some areas has not been stopped, but even promoted, in the now published report.
The satellite images show the progressive depletion in more than half of the studied areas. Alone in a Region in the southwest of the ivory coast 13’748 hectares of forest between November 2017 and September 2018 would be lost, writes of the Mighty Earth. This corresponds to almost 20’000 football fields or the area of the cities of Bern and Zurich.
in Addition, the control caught your also on-the-spot workers with machetes, cleared the rain forest, piece by piece, and cocoa planted. The farmers believe that fresh gerodetes country lend to the beans, the better cocoa. Mighty Earth found in the middle of the rain forest, a plantation of cocoa trees, some of which were less than one year old, so were planted, after the manufacturer had made her promise.
habitat for elephants is lost
The governments have failed, the industry has not kept its promises, writes Mighty Earth in the report. In the ivory coast would disappear in the next ten years, several actually, protected forests, if it is so on. The already endangered chimpanzees and elephants, which gave the Land the name, but also the rest of the Flora and Fauna of the area are affected.
Still not lost hope completely, because the Mighty Earth place, and also improvements. In some areas, deforestation has been stopped. Manufacturers such as Mars, Ferrero are praised for having a sustainable supply chain, Lindt and Halba are among the positive Changes initiated, for example, by Betpas changed from the full-sun cultivation, which is destroying the biodiversity, the more environmentally friendly Shade-grown claws.
The main problems remain: The workers get little pay, also Mighty Earth has encountered many children that cooperated in the plantations. The governments have changed laws and policies, in practice, would not be implemented, but, writes the organization.
Mighty Earth found while Researching in the ivory coast, also working children. (Image: Mighty Earth)
The red-handed, caught the farmers who cut down trees and cocoa, planted, had, apparently, no fear of consequences. You didn’t know the new guidelines and would have from the manufacturers is no evidence that their cocoa beans are not bought, if they cut down the rain forest.
manufacturer to source exactly
declare The manufacturer would be your cacao beans still in dealers to buy, which destroyed the rain forest actively is also an allegation in the report.
For Mighty Earth, it is still too early to point the Finger at a concrete manufacturer. As the newly planted trees bear no fruit, could not be proved, who will use these beans are, ultimately, for its chocolate. The organization, therefore, requires, among other things, the manufacturer must demonstrate in the future, exactly what are the dealers they purchase their cocoa. The dealer in turn would have to declare where they buy their beans.
the supply chain without deforestation, which was promised last year, to be able to comply with to be excluded in the process, suppliers who have grubbed up since November 2017 new areas. Last Mighty Earth calls for a constant satellite surveillance in West Africa, governments and industry established, so that sinners can be quickly unmasked.
How’s Ruby, the new pink chocolate? In may, a pink chocolate came in the shelves. Everything, of course. How do you like this new Swiss chocolate? We have asked people. (Leah cook, Caroline release, Kathrin Egolf) (editor-in-Tamedia)
Created: 07.12.2018, 15:25 PM
