This story was originally published byGrist.
Just four West African countries are the foundation of an industry worth more than $100 billion.
Once harvested, these humble beans are dried, roasted, and processed into something beloved worldwide.
© Sea Wave (Shutterstock)
Chocolate has been coveted for millennia and, particularly on Valentines Day, is an unmistakable token of love.
The research reveals how burning oil, coal, andmethaneis roasting the planets cocoa belt andskyrocketing chocolate prices.
The trees grow best inrainforest conditionswith high humidity, abundant rain, nitrogen-rich soil, and natural wind buffers.
Most of those hotter days came during the main crop cycle, when the plants bloom and produce beans.
The drought means we are losing 60 percent of our cocoa plants.
The implications of this go beyond what it means for this delectable delicacy.
Still, that cost is often absorbed by confectionary customers.
When producer prices rise, when the costs of production rise, consumer prices rise, said Semenova.
Yet even as prices go up, the farmers raising cacao dont always see any of that profit.
We need a different approach that puts sustainability and farmers at its heart, said George Francis.
We do not benefit from increased prices on world markets.
Of course, cocoa isnt the only ingredient in confectioneries threatened by warming.
The pop in and the quality of the ingredients that go into the production of chocolate will change.
All of this has led many chocolatiers to adapt.
This article originally appeared inGristathttps://grist.org/food-and-agriculture/climate-change-is-scorching-the-cocoa-belt-and-youre-paying-the-price/.
Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future.
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