Fast Facts about Chocolate
Cocoa farmers earn just 6–11% of a chocolate bar’s price. At the same time, multinationals such as Mars, Nestlé, and Hershey generate billions in chocolate revenue, thereby perpetuating poverty in farming communities (World Economic Forum / Rainforest Alliance / Statista).
Low cocoa prices force many farmers to use child labor, resulting in 1.5–2 million children working in cocoa fields rather than attending school (U.S. Dept. of Labor).
To supply Big Chocolate, cocoa farming has driven massive deforestation in West Africa, wiping out up to 90% of Côte d’Ivoire’s original rainforest and forcing migratory bird populations out of their habitats (SEI / Ben & Jerry’s).
U.S. testing has found lead and cadmium in some chocolate products, posing long-term neurological and kidney risks (Consumer Reports/ConsumerLab.com).
Most chocolate candy wrappers are not recyclable, contributing to landfill waste and microplastics in oceans (International Waste Management Association / Seabin Foundation).
