Partnering to reduce deforestation in the cocoa supply chain

Cocoa farming is one of the critical drivers of deforestation and becoming ever-more the target of activist campaigning, but what can the cocoa sector do to drive real progress? 

In the west African nations of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, where the majority of the world’s cocoa beans are harvested, there is significant deforestation due to cocoa farming. Changing weather patterns from climate change are forcing farmers to expand into new areas or to relocate, leading to even more deforestation. Deforestation itself is, of course, a significant climate change driver.

Mondelēz, has developed a programme to address these challenges, and some partner organisations – including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Impactum – have provided crucial help along the way.

In this webinar, panelists from Mondelēz International, UNDP and Impactum debate cocoa supply chains and deforestation. The panellists share their experiences addressing deforestation and helping cocoa farmers become more resilient against the effects of climate change through cross-sector collaboration.

Panellists:

Cédric van Cutsem, global operations manager, Cocoa Life, Mondelēz International

Andrew Bovarnick, lead natural resource economist and global head, green commodities program, UNDP

Marc Daubrey, chief executive officer, Impactum

Introduced and moderated by Ian Welsh, publishing director, Innovation Forum