61. Chocolate

The chocolate industry is under the control of three companies called the cocoa traders who essentially force the cocoa farmers in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana to sell their cocoa at ridiculously low prices. This setup pushes farmers into poverty, and many of them resort to illegal deforestation and child labor in order to grow enough cocoa to survive. And as climate change intensifies, the problems for these farmers only stand to worsen. Today, we explore what issues the chocolate industry faces, how climate change affects them, and why there’s absolutely reason to be optimistic that these problems can be fixed. With special guest Dr. Sophia Carodenuto: Assistant Professor of Geography at the University of Victoria.

The Sweaty Penguin is presented by Peril and Promise: a public media initiative from The WNET Group in New York, reporting on the issues and solutions around climate change. You can learn more at pbs.org/perilandpromise.

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