If you needed a more prominent reason to cut back on chocolate other than losing weight, deforestation and climate change is a valid enough reason to stop.
As of 2019, a news website published an article stating:
‘Back in 2009, Mars Inc., maker of M&M’s, Milky Way and other well-known staples of the chocolate space, publicly promised to switch entirely to sustainable cocoa. In the past decade, however, deforestation has only accelerated’
‘the continued deforestation only serves to further tarnish the reputation of chocolate brands already under fire for ongoing child labor practices in West African cocoa fields’
I feel the awareness around this topic is not as well known as many people believe which is troubling. Furthermore, a study investigated illegal deforestation and cocoa farming, they found:
‘Thirteen of 23 protected areas surveyed have lost all primate populations’
‘unless illegal cocoa farming is similarly controlled, even effective enforcement of anti-hunting laws will not prevent the loss of additional primate diversity, since habitats capable of supporting primate populations – including those within protected areas – will no longer exist’
This is an issue as with many luxuries which are abundant in developed countries, not many people tend to question where or how these luxuries make it to our shops. Therefore, in order to preserve the biodiversity of our planet more needs to be done internationally to protect these areas which are now becoming few and far between due to continuous profiteering efforts.
Sources:
Care for the climate 
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