Check out the 2022 chocolate scorecard [español] which surveyed 38 of the world’s largest chocolate companies to find out which companies are addressing major social and environmental issues involved in cocoa production, and which are not. These companies account for 80-90% of chocolate products worldwide. Find out how major companies are doing in traceability and transparency, living income policies, child labor, deforestation and climate, agroforestry, and agrichemical management. -
Millions of small-scale cocoa farmers in the Global South take in only 6% of the profit from each bar of chocolate sold, earning under the poverty line of $1.90 per day. -
While the worldwide chocolate market is expected to grow from US$137.599 billion in 2019 to US$182.090 billion by 2025, one research study shows cocoa farmers actually experienced a decrease in their income due to the impact of COVID-19. -
1.56 million children engage in child labor in cocoa production, with many involved in hazardous labor. -
Children exposed to agrichemical products, such as highly hazardous pesticides, increased from 5% to 24% between 2008-2019. -
In 2020, 47,000 hectares of forest was lost in cocoa growing areas of Côte d'Ivoire. -
Lead and Cadmium: 285 of 469 chocolate products tested in a recent study by As You Sow contained lead and/or cadmium above California’s Maximum Allowable Dose Levels (MADLs) While these are troubling trends, sustainable chocolate is entirely possible. But, that requires governments, companies, civil society, cocoa farming communities, and consumers to work together to demand tangible results. As chocolate consumers, we have a powerful voice in making chocolate more responsible. For the past 20 years, consumer pressure has helped force large chocolate companies, such as Hershey and Mars, to begin addressing labor and environmental abuses in cocoa. We can’t let up now. As Halloween approaches, help Green America ensure that chocolate doesn’t need to be scary. What can you do? | 
