According to Fairtrade Finland, chocolate as we know it may disappear, or become a rare luxury treat, by 2050 because of predictions that rising global temperatures will affect cocoa crops, and force farmers out of business or to switch to more profitable crops.
- Under a “business as usual” scenario, those chocolate-growing countries will experience a 3.8°F (2.1°C) increase in temperature by 2050 and a marked reduction in cultivation area.
- Global warming may melt the chocolate industry.
- Climate change impacts on Indonesian cocoa areas.
- Climate change could threaten cocoa production.
To raise awareness of ‘Chocogeddon’, and the end of chocolate as we know it, Fairtrade Finland has unveiled a campaign starring four melting chocolate animals, to raise awareness of the impact of climate change on cocoa trees.
Conceived and created by creative agency hasan & partners, the aim of Chocogeddon is to increase awareness and understanding of Fairtrade certification among younger audiences, which in turn would increase sales of chocolate products made with Fairtrade chocolate.
Four short videos of a melting chocolate snowy owl, monkey, African elephant and a frog starkly symbolise the earth heating-up and its effect on the environment. The animals were selected because they represent the fate of all wildlife as a result of climate change. Each video signs off with the endline: ‘Save the chocolate, choose Fairtrade chocolate’.
Helinä Leppänen, creative at hasan & partners, said: “With melting chocolate animals we are raising awareness of how climate change threatens cocoa trees and the wildlife that surrounds it. The world is buzzing about the environment but we need to bring the message home in more ways. If chocolate as we know it disappears by 2050, maybe people will look to organisations like Fairtrade to make a stand.”
Chocogeddon was unveiled during Fairtrade Week, in October, and is supported by DOOH and OOH in Finlands’ biggest cities (Helsinki, Turku, Tampere, Oulu and Jyväskylä), PR, Instagram stories, Facebook and Twitter.
Mirka Kartano, Communications and Marketing Manager at Fairtrade Finland, said: “Buying Fairtrade certified chocolate has a positive impact on the environment as it supports producers with tools and practices to adapt. When producers are certified as Fairtrade, they commit to environmental standards that protect the local ecosystem. With Fairtrade, chocolate lovers have the power to change the world with simple shopping choices, which also means encouraging chocolate producers to switch to Fairtrade.”
