The Ivory Coast Research Paper

Did you know every year the average person in The United States consumes 95 chocolate bars? That’s 9.5 pounds of chocolate! But where does this chocolate come from? Sure, you can go pick up a bag at nearly any store but think beyond that. The chocolate must be created somewhere, right? Somewhere beyond the factory. This place is called the Ivory Coast. The Ivory Coast became a country in 1960 after winning their independence from the French. They have since been the biggest cocoa provider worldwide, but life isn’t perfect for them. Many forest have been destroyed thanks to the farmers. They also use children to help them to collect cocoa, and even though they are the best provider they make a very low profit. This makes chocolate seem likes it’s more harmful than helpful.
More than 74% of the forest that were supposedly protected have been taken over by cocoa farmers. 99% of a national park in the Ivory Coast was destroyed by illegal cocoa farming. Not only is cocoa farming affecting the environment it’s affecting the wildlife that lives there. A survey shows 5 areas that were “protected” have lost more than half their primitive species. One certain type of monkey has even gone extinct thanks to the farmers. It may only take a couple of years to tear down a forest but it will take centuries to bring it