Brace yourselves, chocoholics—your sweet fix is under threat, and the culprit is none other than our old nemesis: climate change.
West Africa, the region responsible for about 70% of the world’s cacao (aka chocolate gold), is heating up—literally.
Farmers in Ivory Coast, Ghana, and beyond are battling blistering temperatures, strange rain patterns, and bug invasions.
Spoiler alert: cacao trees hate that. Crops are suffering, and prices are skyrocketing.
Last Year Was The Hottest
Last year was the hottest on record, and scientists say climate change added about three extra weeks of sweltering, cacao-unfriendly heat.
Professor Narcisa Pricope from Mississippi State calls it an “existential threat” to the crop, warning that drier conditions could push cacao farming to the brink.
So, what’s at stake? Your favorite truffle, sure—but also the livelihoods of countless farmers.
As Pricope puts it: “Saving chocolate is really about saving the planet.” Because honestly, a future without chocolate?
That’s not a future anyone wants to live in.
