The Price of Chocolate

Chocolate is a much beloved treat around the world, but chocolate can have some high environmental costs. By some calculations, chocolate can have a higher environmental impact that some types of meat. Sara and Casey discuss why that is, and what small steps we can take to make our chocolate a little greener. 

Resources for this episode:

Our World in Data Food Graph

Mongabay: Delectable but Destructive: Tracing Chocolate's Environmental Life Cycle

Science of Cooking: How is Chocolate Made?

Study: Environmental analysis along the supply chain of dark, milk and white chocolate: a life cycle comparison

World Cocoa Foundation: Cocoa and Forests Initiative

Study: The Impacts of Cocoa Sustainability Initiatives in West Africa

CABI: Trade-offs between shaded and full-sun cocoa

Utopia: The Difference Between Cacao and Cocoa Explained

Lake Champlain Chocolates: How is Chocolate Made?

Study: Detecting cocoa plantations in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana and their implications on protected areas

Motivations for shade-grown cocoa production in Ghana

Washington Post: What the heck is shade-grown cacao? This pricey treat is actually good for the planet.

Beyond Good Chocolates