This article initially appeared on Grist and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration. According to the report, the cocoa industry, valued at over $100 billion, heavily relies on four West African countries: Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon, and Nigeria. In these tropical regions, cacao trees produce pods containing seeds that are harvested, dried, roasted, and transformed into chocolate, a product cherished globally.
Chocolate, revered for centuries, especially during occasions like Valentine’s Day, now also signifies a less romantic reality: climate change. Recent studies indicate that rising temperatures are surpassing ideal conditions for cacao cultivation in these key supply countries, particularly affecting the main harvest seasons. The research highlights how fossil fuel consumption is escalating the planet’s temperature, subsequently increasing chocolate prices.
Kristina Dahl, Vice President of Science at Climate Central, commented on the situation, emphasizing that climate change poses a threat to one of the world’s favorite foods. She expressed hope that understanding the impact of human activities on cacao growth might prompt reconsideration of global priorities and actions to curb climate change and its effects on cherished commodities.
Approximately 70% of global cacao production is concentrated in West Africa, with Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon, and Nigeria as major contributors. The rest primarily comes from regions with similar equatorial climates, such as Indonesia and Ecuador. Cacao thrives in rainforest settings characterized by high humidity, ample rainfall, nutrient-rich soil, and natural wind protection. Temperatures exceeding 89.6 degrees Fahrenheit lead to water stress, stunt plant growth, and reduce both the quality and quantity of the seeds produced.
Last year, temperature increases resulted in six additional weeks of days above this critical level in almost two-thirds of cacao-producing areas in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon, and Nigeria, contributing to an unfavorable harvest, as reported by Climate Central.
Researchers analyzed regional temperature data and estimated historical conditions without anthropogenic warming. Findings indicate that between 2015 and 2024, climate change has prolonged periods of temperatures unfavorable for cacao growth by two to four weeks annually, predominantly coinciding with the critical crop cycle. Additionally, climate change is altering rainfall patterns, intensifying droughts, promoting the spread of detrimental diseases like pod rot, and causing soil degradation. Another recent study identified low pollination rates and higher-than-average temperatures in Ghana as factors limiting yields.