So why, you may ask, is chocolate considered potentially endangered? Well, as we just learned, chocolate is made from the cacao bean, which comes from the cacao tree. This tree needs a special environment, called a rainforest, in which to grow. Also, the cacao tree needs a tiny insect, called a midge to pollinate its flowers so that other cacao trees can grow. The midge also lives in the rainforest.
The big problem is that the rainforest is being cut down. At one point, farmers began cutting down the rainforest to get more land to grow cacao trees. But this was a bad plan. What they learned is that the cacao tree grows better and healthier if it is planted inside the rainforest. The tree will still be able to be pollinated by the midge and have the shade of the rainforest that it loves. By planting the tree in this way, both the chocoholics and the rainforest will be happy. This is called sustainable development.
Chocolate could be in danger of extinction, but if we all do our part to help save the rainforests, chocolate cake, milk, and candy bars will be around for years to come.
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