Nestle’s Green Initiative: Planting Trees and Supporting Cocoa Production in Ivory Coast

Chocolate is one of the most popular and delicious treats in the world, but it also comes with a hidden cost: deforestation.

The production of cocoa, the main ingredient of chocolate, is responsible for the destruction of millions of hectares of forest in tropical regions, especially in West Africa, where most of the world's cocoa is grown.

Deforestation has serious consequences for the environment, biodiversity, climate, and human well-being.

It reduces the habitat and food sources of many wildlife species, some of which are endangered or endemic, and also affects the hydrological cycle, soil quality, and carbon balance, which can worsen the effects of climate change.

Moreover, it threatens the livelihoods and rights of millions of people who depend on forests for their survival and culture.

To address this challenge, various actors and initiatives have emerged to promote more sustainable and responsible cocoa production and consumption.

The problem of deforestation and cocoa farming

(Photo : JAM STA ROSA/AFP via Getty Images)

Ivory Coast is the world's largest cocoa producer, accounting for 40 percent of the global market.

Cocoa is the main source of income for millions of farmers and contributes to the country's economic development, as per Phys.org.

However, cocoa farming also has a negative impact on the environment, as it is one of the main drivers of deforestation in Ivory Coast.

The West African country had 16 million hectares of forest in the 1960s, but this figure has now shrunk to less than three million, mainly due to cocoa plantations.

Deforestation has led to the loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, water pollution, climate change, and social conflicts.

It also threatens the sustainability of the cocoa sector itself, as it reduces the availability and quality of land and water resources.

To address this problem, the Ivorian government has committed to restoring 20% of its forest cover by 2030 and promoting more sustainable and climate-smart cocoa production practices.

It has also partnered with various stakeholders, such as international organizations, civil society groups, private companies, and local communities, to implement initiatives and projects that aim to protect and restore forests while supporting cocoa farmers.

Also Read: Peru's Bird, Bats Help With Endangered Dry Forest, Cacao Yield

The potential of reforestation and agroforestry

One of the initiatives that seeks to combat deforestation and support cocoa farming in the Ivory Coast is a project launched by Nestle, the Swiss food giant behind chocolate brands like KitKat and Smarties, as per Borneo Bulletin.

The project aims to restore and protect the Cavally Forest in southwest Ivory Coast, one of the last remaining dense forests in the country.

The Cavally Forest is a biodiversity reserve covering more than 67,000 hectares, but it is threatened by deforestation linked to the cocoa industry and illegal gold mining.

The forest is home to many endangered species, such as chimpanzees, elephants, leopards, and pygmy hippos. It also provides ecosystem services, such as water regulation, carbon sequestration, and soil fertility.

The Nestle project was launched in 2020 in partnership with the Ivorian government and the Earthworm Foundation, an NGO that leads the project's implementation.

The project has three main objectives: to stop further deforestation in the Cavally Forest; to restore degraded forest areas through natural regeneration and reforestation; and to improve the livelihoods and resilience of cocoa farmers and communities living near the forest.

It uses a participatory approach that involves engaging with local stakeholders, such as farmers' cooperatives, traditional authorities, women's groups, youth associations, and local NGOs.

It also provides training and support to farmers on good agricultural practices, such as agroforestry, which combines trees with crops or livestock.

Agroforestry can help increase crop yields, diversify income sources, enhance soil health, conserve water resources, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The company is working with cocoa traders and processors to improve the transparency and traceability of the cocoa supply chain.

This can help ensure that cocoa is sourced from legal and sustainable sources that do not contribute to deforestation.

Moreover, the project will help raise consumers' awareness about their chocolate consumption's environmental and social impacts.

Nestle steps up reforestation project in Ivory Coast, bringing cocoa trading companies directly on board.

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