Photo by Jessica Loaiza on Unsplash
Ease Rating: Medium
Carbon Emission Savings: 75 kg CO2e
5 - ~80% target progress (2,000+ kg CO2e)
4 - ~60% (1,000 - 2,000 kg CO2e)
3 - ~20% (500 - 1,000 kg CO2e)
2 - ~10% (100 - 500 kg CO2e)
1 - <10% (<100 kg CO2e)
0 - <1% (<30 kg CO2e)
No. of People Influenced Beyond You: 0.
Amount of Savings: n/a
Impacts: 🌳 Ecosystem Protection and Expansion
Categories: Food
Description
Lots of people enjoy eating chocolate, but unfortunately it takes more water and creates more pollution than many other food products. What chocolate, really?! The core issue is that the demand for cocoa is rising. That means more milk from methane-belching cows and the cutting down of forests to produce cocoa. This causes massive deforestation. Mix in some farmers using child labor to help grow, harvest, and transport cocoas beans, and there is a complicated dark side to this treat.
Remember, progress, not perfection. If you love chocolate and eating less of it makes your life worse, then opt for sustainably produced chocolate.
Unfortunately, most big brand chocolates are not produced sustainably. Choose fair trade and sustainable options instead. A bonus is to avoid purchasing products that will fill the landfill with non-recyclable packaging.
Tips
• There are lots of eco-friendly chocolates out there! You can search for options online.• The best chocolates will be some combination of sustainable cocoa, plant-based milk (no dairy), no child labor, and recyclable packaging. It may be hard to find all that, but do what you can while satisfying your sweet tooth. Have fun exploring options and consider mixing in sugar candies (no cocoa), which check most of these boxes.
• You can also buy from local chocolatiers. Artisan chocolatiers differ from large chocolate brands since they are more likely to use organic chocolate grown using traditional and sustainable methods, though it is good to double-check that. They can also make more specialized chocolates rather than simple bars or bite-sized treats. You can find local artisan chocolatiers near you by using this web tool or by conducting a quick internet search.