The Situation
Why is this important?
CLIMATE CHANGE AND CHOCOLATE
The People's Chocolate is a nonprofit organization formed in September 2024 in Manila, Philippines as a retail brand of quality chocolate that will donate 100% of its profits to help the cacao farmers recover from the devastation of typhoons and floods and help prepare them for future severe weather.
A volunteer board of directors will seek partner organizations and individuals to help bring awareness of climate change in Asia and provide funding to alleviate the suffering of farmers and those most affected by the disasters and to support efforts to prepare them for, and mitigate, future weather events which are growing in frequency and severity.
THE SITUATION
The scientific evidence is unequivocal: climate change is a threat to human wellbeing and the health of the planet. Any further delay in concerted global action will miss the brief, rapidly closing window to secure a livable future. That is the warning issued by the highest international authority, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change of the United Nations.
The Philippines is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Rising sea levels, higher temperatures, and increased frequency of typhoons and extreme weather events can cause floods, landslides, and erosion that pollute water resources, damage infrastructure, destroy crops, and lead to loss of lives and livelihoods.
About 20 typhoons hit the archipelgo every year. These and other extreme weather phenomena intensify due to sustained global emission and bring havoc to people, nature, agriculture, economy, and infrastructure.
CACAO FARMING IN ASIA
Climate change significantly impacts cacao farming by causing increased temperatures, irregular rainfall patterns, and more frequent droughts, leading to reduced yields, increased pest and disease outbreaks, and potential loss of suitable growing areas, particularly in the cacao-producing region's of Southeast Asia, putting a strain on the livelihoods of cacao farmers.
With increasing temperatures and more severe periods of drought and rainfall, cacao farmers are struggling to produce the yields they need to supply chocolate's main ingredient. In the entire archipelago, farmers in the cacao-growing hotspots are increasingly confronting this reality.
WHAT HAPPENED IN 2024?
Heavy rainfall hammered Southeast Asia in 2024, triggering landslides and causing floods. Well over 5 million people have been harshly affected. Over 1,00,000 families' lives, acrossthe entire archipelago of Southeast Asia have been disrupted. Nearly 500,000 remain displaced. Many have lost everything.
WHAT CAN BE DONE?
Besides activism and large-scale global efforts to curb climate change by political action with policy changes, there are things that can be done locally to mitigate the damage of floods and typhoons, such as planting shade trees can help regulate temperature and humidity levels, creating a more favorable environment for cacao trees; and implementing efficient irrigation practices. Also, developing climate-resilient cacao varieties is possible, and doing research and development of cacao cultivars with higher tolerance to extreme weather conditions. Plus, implementing practices like agroforestry to enhance soil health and biodiversity.
Join Us
SOLUTIONS
These and other nature-based solutions leverage the intrinsic abilities of natural river systems to deliver climate resilience at a lower cost than traditional infrastructure development while minimizing negative environmental and social impacts. The approach is science-based and follows the principles of participatory water resources management. Solutions also include planting mangroves, restoring wetlands, and building bioswales.
HOW WILL THE PEOPLE’S CHOCOLATE OF ASIA HELP?
Every penny of profit from the sale of chocolate and other products produced by The People’s Chocolate of Asia will be used to relieve the suffering of those farmers who have been the most impacted as well as working with sister organizations to communicate the problems that climate change is causing. Such projects as the nature-based solution listed above will be a focal point of the organization and other initiatives to alleviate, protect, and mitigate the future disasters caused by severe weather.