Over the past few years, the cocoa sector has drawn unwanted attention due to reports of farmer poverty, child labor, and high levels of deforestation, and as global cocoa consumption is expected to grow, particularly in emerging markets like India, China, and Brazil, production areas are likely to expand, exacerbating worries. There have been increasing calls to improve the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of value chains, so cocoa stakeholders have developed multiple initiatives to foster social equity and economic vitality. Technology is becoming the driving force behind sustainability in cocoa, which is a strategic imperative, making its way higher on executives' list of priorities.

Digital technologies and innovative solutions enable new business models and support the new reality, which favors sustainable agroforestry and other environmentally friendly farming techniques. The cocoa trade is still handled via personal relations and spread-out distribution, yet technological advancements have enhanced many areas of the supply chain, including but not limited to traceability, farm mapping, and market analytics. Efficient management of green technologies is essential. As our knowledge and experience deepen, we can conduct business responsibly and craft mutually beneficial partnerships that extend from seedling to harvesting.

Everything We Want Or Desire Comes With A Cost, And Chocolate Is No Exception

Chocolate is one of the world's favorite treats, as it provides energy, satisfies the human sweet tooth, and alleviates hunger. According to Statista, consumers now pay close attention to sustainable food production (and healthy lifestyle choices), which poses a challenge for the chocolate industry in ensuring long-term success. Cocoa is cultivated primarily for its seeds, which are used to produce cocoa powder, cocoa butter, and chocolate products (dark chocolate, milk chocolate, pralines, filled chocolates, hollow chocolate figurines, etc.), and it's a significant source of income for many smallholder families. Ghana is world-renowned for its cocoa production and trade.

Western Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific consume the most chocolate, the flavor of which is determined by the ratio of ingredients, which evaporate in the mouth and travel up to the olfactory organ. The interplay between where cocoa is grown and where the consumers eat chocolate is essential for the comprehension of sustainability in the supply chain. The demand for cocoa results in a wealth of issues, such as:

• Farmer poverty: Cocoa farmers live beneath the extreme poverty line, meaning they don't reap the rewards of chocolate's popularity. They work hard under grueling conditions but don't earn a living income. The cocoa trade contributes to discrimination and exploitation, which threaten the future of communities.
• Poor productivity: It's marked by poor agricultural practices, aging cocoa trees, and lack of quality inputs.
• Climate change: The growing demand for cocoa drives deforestation, which releases the CO2 stored back into the atmosphere. Farmers' livelihoods are at risk due to droughts and rain patterns.
• Child labor: Countless children are engaged in hazardous work on cocoa farms alongside their parents or their relatives. They face harsh realities, such as scarcity of land, food insecurity, and limited access to education.
• Deforestation: Much of cocoa is grown in micro cropping systems, where the field is used for the production of only pure strands. Forests are cut down each year for cocoa plantations.

The future of sustainable cocoa production depends on brands, suppliers, and manufacturers dedicated to supply chain traceability and transparency. In some instances, the cocoa manufacturer establishes and maintains direct contact with the producers to the degree to which they purchase directly from a farm or plantation.

The Cocoa Sector Actively Invests In Digital Solutions To Confront These Challenges

Research and investment into everything from simple automation tools to complex data analytics platforms helps meet sustainability goals, namely advancing equitable livelihoods, ending child labor, and strengthening forest conservation. Nevertheless, bringing about transformative change to the industry entails solid partnerships with farmers, customers, governments, civil society, and so on. Let's take a closer look at exactly how technology is used for cocoa production:

Tracking Carbon Dioxide Levels And Deforestation

There's an urgent need to change the present cocoa-growing practice into a more climate-friendly cultivation system, so the sector must use carbon footprint tools to measure CO2 output. High-quality data is critical for tracking carbon fluctuations across sourcing countries. The Olam Group, for instance, has teamed up with Earth Engine and Google Cloud to develop an AI-powered carbon stock monitoring and measurement tool, and in the future, they'll offer the platform to customers as a paid service to help them measure and manage the effectiveness of their actions.

Reaching Remote Farming Communities

Despite the fact that small-scale farmers produce most of the cocoa, they have little to no influence on global trade and the price paid, so companies and other sector stakeholders must implement diverse strategies to increase incomes and reduce poverty in cocoa-growing communities. ofi, a leader in the provision of sustainably sourced cocoa beans and an esteemed nuts supplier, focuses on programs that ensure positive support for farmers and their communities. AtSource is the platform through which they deliver these programs to cocoa-growing regions and better understand what transformative actions are required. AtSource is the impetus for creating change for farmers, communities, ecosystems, and customers.

Optimizing Pesticide Utilization While Empowering Farmers

Most notable among concerns is the overuse of lindane, which is associated with effects such as rhinitis and throat irritation, to name a few. Its use was phased out, yet in some countries, danger is still present. Chemical control measures pose risks to growers and consumers, cause inconveniences to become long-term problems, and impact the environment (e.g., excess soil copper). AI-based monitoring and modeling can help inform when and where pests must be controlled and new solutions like pesticides derived from natural materials (animals, plants, bacteria, etc.) to achieve the same effect. In the past year, Cargill has supplied millions of seedlings to farmers in Côte d'Ivoire.

Concluding Thoughts

Various efforts have been made for sustainable cocoa production, which means that chocolate can continue to be enjoyed by future generations, and it's all thanks to technology. Though the global problem is complex and will unfold for years to come, technology will play an essential role.