Environmental Impacts of Cocoa Production

Chocolate has been in the spotlight over the past few weeks. You'll undoubtedly have seen headlines such as this one, where leading chocolate producers like the Barry Callebaut Group and other industry experts warn about potential cocoa shortages by 2020. Demand for chocolate products is increasing, most notably in Asia over recent years, and experts fear that the crop simply won't be able to keep up. This isn't really news, however. Concerns over cocoa shortages have been repeatedly voiced over the last years, with some experts even predicting that chocolate will eventually be equivalent to caviar (The Independent, 2014).

Cocoa tree with cocoa pods (Source: the Telegraph, 2014)

With this exploding interest in cocoa, one may wonder what might be the environmental impacts associated with cocoa production across the globe? I certainly have been, especially after my recent visit to Kew Gardens where I learnt about the history and uses of Theobroma cacao. A recent study by Ntiamoah and Afrane (2008) directly addresses this question using a life cycle approach for the Ghanaian cocoa industry. Before delving into the details, let's first uncover a few quick facts about cocoa.  

Cocoa Facts

The genus Theobroma originated in South America millions of years ago, and includes a total of twenty-two species (cacao being the most widely known). Archaeological evidence of T. cacao as a domesticated crop can be traced to the Maya. The recipe for hot chocolate was brought to Spain by Hernan Cortés in 1528, though the drink did not gain popularity in Spanish courts until sugar was added to the recipe (ICCO, 2014). 

Today, T. cacao is an important cash crop that is grown in the humid tropics (in countries 10ºN and 10ºS of the equator). The largest producers of T. cacao, in order of importance, are Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Indonesia (FAO, 2001). 

Map showing countries where T. cocao is grown (Source: Rainforest Alliance, 2014)

The climatic conditions which favour the growth of T. cacao are high temperatures (max. mean 30-32ºC, min. 18 - 21ºC) and high moisture. T. cacao is particularly sensitive to rainfall, and thrives in locations which receive 1500-2000mm/year. The crop has traditionally been grown in shade, as the species is capable of making optimum use of available light (ICCO, 2014). In 2001, approximately 6.5 million hectares of land were planted with the crop in a total of 57 countries. The average yield is of 400kg beans/ha/year (FAO, 2001).

Cocoa is harvested by removing ripe cocoa pods from the trunk and branches of the cocoa tree, and opening the pods to remove the wet cocoa beans. The harvested cocoa beans are then fermented and dried out. Cocoa beans then undergo processing to be transformed into chocolate products (the processing procedure can be viewed here) (ICCO, 2014).

Environmental Impacts of Cocoa Production and Processing in Ghana

According to the ICCO (2014), an estimated 70% of world cocoa production is grown by smallholders in low input and low intensity agricultural systems. Because cocoa requires shade and forest cover and has relatively few inputs, it has the smallest impact of all the tropical cash crops. However, widespread clearing of forests for intensive cocoa production has the potential to result in the destruction of ecosystems, the loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, stream sedimentation and health/environmental issues related to agrochemicals and runoff (ICCO FAQs, 2014).

Cocoa beans ready for sale and distribution (Source: CNN, 2014)

In their recent study, Ntiamoah and Afrane (2008) used a life cycle approach to identify the environmental impacts of cocoa production and processing in Ghana, the world's second largest producer of cocoa beans. In Ghana, the government has recently implemented the Cocoa Disease and Pest Control Project (CODAPEC) which aims to address the issue of pests and diseases on cocoa farms. The ultimate goal of the project was to improve the livelihood of farmers and reduce poverty by boosting cocoa production. Under CODAPEC, insecticides and fungicides were sprayed across Ghanaian cocoa farms free of charge. Though Ntiamoah and Afrane (2008) acknowledge the benefits of the programme, their work raises valid concerns about the environmental impacts associated with a growing cocoa industry.

In order to identify the potential environmental impacts associated with cocoa production in Ghaha, Ntiamoah and Afrane (2008) used a life cycle assessment (LCA) tool in accordance with the ISO 14040-14043 series procedural framework. The system was divided into 3 main stages, namely cocoa production, transportation, industrial processing of cocoa beans. The functional unit used in their study was 1kg of processed cocoa beans.

Overall, the authors reported that freshwater aquatic eco-toxicity, human toxicity, and global warming potentials were the most significant environmental impacts associated with the system. Below is a summary of their results, grouped by the three mains stages.

Cocoa Production Stage

Cocoa production makes the largest contribution to eutrophication, ozone layer depletion, freshwater aquatic eco-toxicity, human toxicity, and terrestrial eco-toxicity (average contributions greater than 96%). Ntiamoah and Afrane (2008) identified the production and use of fertilizers and pesticides as a major cause of environmental burden. Emissions of halogens and CFCs during pesticide production were identified as the main source of ozone layer depletion. Eutrophication was found to be caused by nutrient leakage during cultivation and emission of phosphates. For the toxicity groups, the main source was heavy metal content in phosphorus fertilizers and leakage of pesticides. Other impacts identified by the authors were solid waste in the form of pod husks and loss of biodiversity from clearing of original vegetation.

Cocoa pod husks (Source: Sustainable Review, 2014)

Cocoa Processing Stage

In terms of cocoa processing, Ntiamoah and Afrane (2008) identified industrialised processing of cocoa beans as the most important contributor to photo-chemical ozone creation potential, global warming potential, atmospheric acidification potential, and abiotic depletion potential. The production and combustion of fossil fuels were identified as the principal cause of the environmental impacts of this stage. 

Transportation Stage

The authors reported that the transportation stage was the most environmentally-friendly, with no significant contributions to the impact categories.

In addition to quantifying the environmental impacts associated with the three main stages of cocoa production in Ghana, the authors put forth several recommendations. Among the most important recommendations were the replacement of diesel fuel by natural gas in the cocoa processing stage and the exclusive use of compost instead of inorganic fertilizers.

I certainly learnt a lot about cocoa production, and was impressed by the use of an LCA tool by Ntiamoah and Afrane (2008) to quantify the environmental impacts of the cocoa industry in Ghana. I was also rather surprised by some of the environmental and health impacts that result from this industry. It's definitely going to be something I think about the next time I purchase a chocolate bar! Were you surprised by the results of the life cycle analysis, or about any of the cocoa facts we talked about today? I'd love to hear your thoughts!