| Can Chocolate lovers and Coffee Drinkers stop | | | | furniture, one can imagine an entire host of products |
| Deforestation? | | | | that owe their creation to trees and plants. |
| I hear arguments about Chocolate lovers and Coffee | | | | The Rapid Depletion of the World’s Mangrove |
| Drinkers needing to stop deforestation because it is | | | | Forests |
| the forests, more specifically the rainforests that | | | | Mangroves can be described as ‘rainforests by |
| produce the chocolate we eat and the Coffee that | | | | the sea’. Large stretches of the sub-tropical and |
| people drink. My question is, it seems that the | | | | tropical coastlines of Asia, Africa, Oceania, the |
| Chocolate making companies and the Coffee | | | | Americas and the Caribbean are fringed by |
| Companies would have more to lose. Why don’t | | | | mangroves, once estimated to cover an area of |
| they buy up big plantations and help save the | | | | over 32 million hectares. Now, less than 15 million |
| rainforests? If the rainforests are gone, yes we lose | | | | hectares remain —less than half the original area. |
| our Chocolate and coffee and possible cancer fighting | | | | The depletion of the world’s mangroves is due |
| drugs but they will lose the entire company. So, it | | | | to excessive shrimp farms, tourist complexes and |
| seems we all need to do something. I just think that | | | | intense land development. According to the latest |
| the companies have bigger pockets and more weight | | | | study by the UN’s Food and Agriculture |
| to throw around than us little guys. Agree? | | | | Organization (FAO), the current rate of mangrove |
| Causes of Deforestation | | | | loss is around 1% per annum—or around 150,000 |
| Deforestation is a problem that could lead to | | | | ha of new mangrove area loss per year. Now, the |
| disastrous consequences for mankind as a whole. | | | | Mangrove Action Project (MAP) is working with other |
| Rapid urbanization is one of the primary causes of | | | | organizations in the global South towards restoring |
| deforestation. As cities and towns expand, forests in | | | | degraded and cleared mangrove areas as a high |
| their surrounding vicinity are being mercilessly cut | | | | priority. MAP is especially interested in restoring some |
| down in order to make way for suburban townships. | | | | of the 250,000 ha of abandoned shrimp farms |
| The forest cover in many areas is also decreasing | | | | located in former coastal wetland areas, especially in |
| since the land is being occupied for farming purposes | | | | Asia and Latin America. But, even more importantly, |
| in many countries. Increased global consumption is | | | | MAP is working to help conserve and protect existing |
| another one of the major reasons behind the | | | | mangrove wetlands around the world. |
| decreasing forest cover. From paper to wooden | | | | |