Illegal Cocoa Farming in Nigeria's Omo Forest Reserve Threatens Wildlife

Major Cocoa Traders Linked to Deforestation Amid Complex Supply Chain

Cocoa farming in Nigeria's Omo Forest Reserve, a protected tropical rainforest, is threatening the habitat of critically endangered African forest elephants and other wildlife.
Farmers are illegally expanding into the reserve due to aging cocoa trees in other parts of the country and the increasing global demand for chocolate.
Major cocoa traders, including Singapore-based Olam Group and Nigeria’s Starlink Global and Ideal Limited, are reportedly purchasing cocoa from the conservation zone.
These companies supply cocoa to large chocolate manufacturers like Mars Inc. and Ferrero, but it's unclear if cocoa from the deforested areas of the reserve is used in their products.
Despite regulations and sustainability pledges, checks on deforestation are not consistently carried out, and the chocolate supply chain remains complex and opaque.