Get Picky With Your Chocolate - Eat Clean, Go Green challenge, powered by Compass One Healthcare - Day 6 Tip
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Did you know that chocolate is one of the most damaging foods to the environment? The chocolate industry is riddled with sustainability issues such as:
- Deforestation for better crop outcomes
- Poor farmworker welfare
- Child labor
It’s perfectly fine to indulge in a piece of chocolate now and then — it does contain healthy antioxidants, after all. But today’s challenge is to think about the environment the next time you buy chocolate. Every person can make a difference by choosing chocolate made from more sustainable cocoa sources.
The farming of cacao (the raw, unprocessed version of cocoa) is one of the least environmentally-friendly foods. The Ivory Coast in West Africa has lost 80% of its forests in the last decade due to cacao farming. Deforestation not only affects precious animal species; it contributes to global warming.
Cacao farming is also known for unfair pay and child labor. Most cacao farmers live in poverty, and the work of harvesting cacao is brutal. Some major chocolate producers have pledged to eliminate child labor from cacao harvesting, but it’s still a major problem.
So, how can YOU make a difference? When buying chocolate and cocoa, choose sustainable and ethical brands whenever possible, or look for shade-grown options. Look for brands with labels that say:
- Co-owned by cocoa farmers
- Ethically sourced
- Fair Trade Certified
- Shade grown
Are you enjoying this challenge so far? Share with us in the update thread here or in our private Facebook group, or on Twitter, or Instagram. Tag us with #healthynurse.
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Missed day 5? Catch up here. Join us on day 7.
This challenge is powered by Morrison Healthcare, a Division of Compass One Healthcare
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11/14/2022 10:45am CST
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