Episode 4: The High Price of Cheap Chocolate

Over 40 percent of cocoa comes from Ivory Coast and one-fourth of the population—about 6 million people—earn their living through the crop. In the past year, the price of cocoa has dropped by 30 percent, hitting record lows just after Valentine’s Day. In this episode, we’ll learn how this affects farmers on the ground and what consumers can do to have an impact.

Guests include: Laurent Pipitone, director of the economics and statistics division at the International Cocoa Organization, on the impacts of historically low cocoa prices on subsistence cocoa farmers in West Africa. Antonie Fountain, managing director of the VOICE (Voice of Organisations in Cocoa in Europe) Network, on how the money consumers pay for chocolate is allocated. Sako Warren, global executive secretary of the World Cocoa Farmers Organization, on what farmer empowerment in cocoa really means.

Learn more at theslowmelt.com. This show is brought to you by the following sponsors: Warby Parker. Get a free 5-day home try-on at www.warbyparkertrial.com/chocolate. FreshBooks. Get a free one-month trial at www.gofreshbooks.com/chocolate. Audible. Get a free audiobook of your choice and free 30-day trial at www.audibletrial.com/chocolate.