Kingman Museum - Conservation Tip of the Month

With Valentine’s Day around the corner I’m thinking chocolate. Generally, when we think about chocolate our major concern is how it tastes, but maybe we should think about the environmental impact of our treat choice. The farming of cacao trees is not a profitable business, often leading to farmers making poor environmental choices to get larger yields, sacrificing plant lifespan, decreasing quality, increasing pests, and damaging biodiversity. Cacao trees only grow in the equatorial regions of the planet, the same region where rainforests grow. To increase yield, farmers cut down rainforests to plant monoculture plantations, which are then doused with pesticides because without the protection of other plants, pests can easily attack the cacao trees. The pesticide and the direct sunlight reduce the lifespan of the trees and the productivity of the soil, giving these plantations a relatively short lifespan. The pesticides also pose a danger to

plants and animals as they pollute the air and water. Because the soil is damaged and rainforests take so long to restore, the biodiversity is essentially lost. Cacao trees grow naturally in the rainforest with taller trees providing shade and animal habitat. Farmers can plant cacao trees at the edge of rainforests rather than clear-cutting them. They can also plant them with taller fruit and nut trees to provide shade and additional profit. What can you do? Look at where your chocolate comes from and how it is farmed. Buy fair trade or organic chocolates. The companies selling these chocolates are more likely to support sustainable farming, offer a fair price to growers, and support fair labor conditions. Show the love and buy environmentally friendly chocolate.

February 2009 - Share Some Love with the Planet

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