Africa: Sweet like chocolate? Assessing coffee and cocoa production

The collapse in commodity prices over the last few decades threatens farmer livelihoods and development prospects, according to a paper that studies the cases of cocoa and coffee to assess whether their systems of production and trade meet the needs and aspirations of poor rural populations in the developing world, and minimize environmental damage. The paper, from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, said the collapse in prices also had a significant impact on the environment. The biodiversity effects of changing prices were highly site-specific, but it was clear that the market was not delivering environmentally or socially sound outcomes.