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  • Publication | 2016

The Dark Side of Chocolate: An analysis of the conventional, sustainable and fair trade cocoa chains

Global Food and Nutrition Security

Based on the analysis of a large number of scientific articles, specialised reports and interviews, this study compares the societal costs of conventional cocoa chains with the results obtained within “sustainable” and “fair trade” certified chains in Peru and Ivory Coast. The study demonstrates that fair trade can significantly improve the sustainability of the cocoa chain if the following conditions are respected: the guarantee that prices received by cocoa producers cover the costs of production and the basic needs of their families; the strengthening of grass-root producer organisations; substantial investments in basic social services and local infrastructures. The successful examples described in the report rely on alternative agricultural practices, especially agroforestry, and on chocolate chains that value the cocoa origins.