In Europe we like chocolate. The value of this market is estimated at around 45,000 million euros. It is a vast industry that large volumes of bulk cocoa that here we do not grow, but, to a large extent, import. More than 70% of the cocoa consumed on the continent comes from West African countries, especially Ivory Coast, Ghana and Nigeria. There are ideal tropical conditions for this fruit to grow. But what seemed like a “blessing” for these impoverished areas has become a problem: the cocoa industry is engulfing its forests.
Every year, these countries record the worst world deforestation figures. While in Spain we have gained 33% of forest area since 1990, Ivory Coast and Ghana – the two largest cocoa producers in the world – have lost 80% and 94% of their forests, respectively, in the last 60 years. years. About a third of that loss is due to the expansion of cocoa production. Many producers They burn forests to expand cultivation of this coveted fruit and satisfy the demand of the European Union.
The damage goes beyond African borders. In Latin American countries such as Ecuador, Dominican Republic and – especially – Peru, Colombia or Brazil The plantations of chocolate companies also threaten the landscape and, many of them, grow on the ashes of devastated forests. However, there are exceptions. There are projects to help small Latin American producers who “do things well” flourish, so that they can be competitive in the European and international market through advanced technology.
«Initiatives such as Cocoa Tracefinanced by the European Union and led by the development cooperation NGO Codespa and the Dominican Agrobusiness Board, show us that everything is lost,” says Diana Patricia Borrero, head of the Codespa delegation in the Caribbean. This initiative is committed to the use of technology blockchain to guarantee the traceability of cocoa products in Monte Plata, a rural province of the Dominican Republic, covered by jungle and dotted with waterfalls. There, cocoa abounds.
Borrero explains that, thanks to the implementation of this system developed by the Ecuadorian company Kruger Corporation (which joined Cacao Trace in November), the producers of Monte Plata can ensure full traceability of the product, from when it is planted until it reaches the the consumers. «The technology blockchainprovides data on origin and cultivation practices in all its stages. This facilitates the certification of deforestation-free cocoa, a requirement that is increasingly demanded by the EU and other international markets,” he points out.
The project aims support 700 small Dominican cocoa producers in their transition towards more responsible and competitive agricultural practices. Thanks to this technology, they will be able to demonstrate compliance with international standards and open up to more lucrative markets, such as Europe. An approach that responds to new regulations that prohibit the sale of cocoa from deforested lands, such as the Law that was going to come into force in the EU in December 2024, and that the Commission delayed until the same month of 2025 due to the « “lack of preparation” of the industry (essentially Brazilian and German), as announced by Brussels last week.
However, the advancement of these regulatory mechanisms It is crucial for the survival of many chocolate makers that have been striving to be ecological for years. The Dominican Republic has about 40,000 producers and 150,000 hectares dedicated to cocoa, of which 16.5% correspond to organic crops. «This turns the country into a world leader in organic cocoa productioncovering 60% of this global market. The implementation of technology blockchain reinforces this competitive advantage,” says Borrero. But Codespa’s efforts do not stop at the chocolate industry in this country.
In Ecuador, The NGO also supports 1,500 women through 50 bioenterprises. There, in collaboration with the Association of Waorani Women of the Ecuadorian Amazon, Codespa helps them grow cocoa and produce high-quality 100% organic chocolate, creating local employment and protecting natural resources.
«To ensure that people can undertake businesses while respecting the environment, it is necessary to clean technology, organic fertilizers, photovoltaic machinery… and that has a cost,” insists Ferrán Gelis, delegate in Ecuador. Codespa, with support from governments, allows access to credits for green ventures that cover this cost, contributing to the creation of new businesses and the adoption of technology that does not endanger the Amazon,” he concludes.