US EditionNGO Links Major Chocolate Brands to Liberia Deforestation
Research shows companies mix certified cocoa with untraceable beans, leading to 250,000 hectares of deforestation linked to major chocolate brands, Global Witness said.
- Tuesday, NGO Global Witness published research linking major chocolate brands Mars, Mondelez , Hershey, Nestle, and Unilever to deforestation in Liberia's rainforest.
- According to Global Witness, rising cocoa prices and crop failures in neighbouring cocoa-producing countries have driven farm expansion and exports in Liberia, with rural traders buying indiscriminately.
- Analysis of customs and tree-cover data shows Global Witness matched Liberia's cocoa export records with forest loss in Bong, Nimba and Lofa counties, finding about 618,000 acres lost in the cocoa belt.
- The report arrives as the EU parliament considers delaying a law requiring companies selling in Europe to prove imports like chocolate are deforestation-free, while Liberia's Upper Guinean rainforest and species like chimpanzees and forest elephants face threats.
- Certification programs let companies mix `traceable, certified cocoa with untraceable beans`, enabling products labeled sustainable despite untraceable bulk cocoa concealing deforestation, Global Witness said.
28 Articles
28 Articles
Mars, KitKat and Cadbury named in probe into Liberia’s cocoa-driven deforestation
MONROVIA, Nov 25 — Some of the world’s best-known chocolate, from Mars to KitKat, is likely linked to deforestation in Liberia’s rainforest despite many brands’ claims of sustainability, according to research published by NGO Global Witness today.Liberia is home to the largest remaining stretch of the Upper Guinean rainforest and multiple endangered species such as chimpanzees and forest elephants, according to the group.Between 2021 and 2024 Li…
NGO links major chocolate brands to Liberia deforestation
Some of the world's best-known chocolate, from Mars to KitKat, is likely linked to deforestation in Liberia's rainforest despite many brands' claims of sustainability, according to research published by NGO Global Witness Tuesday.
NGO links major chocolate brands to Liberia deforestation
Some of the world's best-known chocolate, from Mars to KitKat, is likely linked to deforestation in Liberia's rainforest despite many brands' claims of sustainability, according to research published by NGO Global Witness Tuesday.
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