Amid a sometimes tumultuous year for the environment, there were also major climate achievements. Mighty Earth’s work in the chocolate industry was listed as one of the Guardian’s “Things that went right in 2017” alongside the discovery of an underground ocean on a moon of Saturn, a 3.7% rate of global economic growth, and the election of France’s Emmanuel Macron. Our investigation into deforestation in national parks and other protected areas in West Africa prompted swift action from the entire chocolate industry and West African governments to commit to ending deforestation for cocoa in the entire region. Next year’s plan- secure this commitment for forests around the world.
“But the big, bold headlines tell only half the story – perhaps not even that much. Away from the hysteria of daily news, it is possible to discern progress, joy, breakthroughs and that rarest commodity of all: optimism.
In Ghana and the Ivory Coast, governments are drawing up plans to prevent the clearance of forests for cocoa plantations after Mighty Earth campaigners exposed the links between illegal deforestation and the chocolate produced by Mars, Hershey’s, Nestlé and other global brands.”