Cocoa Industry Appears to Make Small Improvements in Tree Loss
The crop was traditionally a major cause of deforestation, but recent conservation efforts may be having a positive impact.
Last year was the third-worst this century for tropical tree-loss according to new data released Tuesday by Global Forest Watch, an online platform that provides data and tools for monitoring forests. There is, however, a sliver of good news: The world’s most important cocoa-producing countries, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, showed signs of progress, halving the damage of the prior year.
Cocoa-growing is a major cause of deforestation in West Africa. Côte d’Ivoire, the world’s biggest producer, lost 80% of its forests in a half-century. Globally, deforestation is responsible for as much as 15% of global carbon-dioxide emissions. Recently, however, there have been a series of efforts to slow the environmental damage.