Global warming jeopardizes the future of chocolate. In West Africa, a region which produces 70 % of world cocoa, the rise in temperatures has crossed critical thresholds in 2024, heavily impacting crops and exploding prices on international markets, according to a report on Wednesday by the Center Independent Research Central Climate.
According to this study, temperatures exceeded 32 ° C-threshold beyond which the cultivation of the cocoa is threatened-for more than six weeks in 71 % of the farms studied. However, beyond this limit, heat disrupts photosynthesis, intensifies the water stress of the plants and leads to a decrease in the size and quality of the boxes.
Increasingly common high temperatures
“Temperatures above 32 ° C are increasingly common,” alert researchers, stressing that this increase is particularly observed during the main culture season, from October to March. In addition to heat, climate change causes irregular precipitation and proliferation of pests, further aggravating the situation of producers.
Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, the main producing countries, are the most affected. In Côte d’Ivoire, global warming caused by human activities has doubled the number of days when temperatures are extreme for cocoa. In July 2024, the country underwent 40 % more precipitation compared to normal, flooding plantations when the beans must dry. Conversely, the month of December was marked by an almost absence of rain, essential at the start of culture.
A direct impact on the market
Another report, published on the same day by the British NGO Christian Aid, warns against the growing precariousness of cocoa producers. “Cocoa is a vital subsistence means for many people among the poorest in the world, and climate change of human origin is a severe threat,” insists Ojigho, campaign director of the NGO.
Find all our items on chocolate
The bad harvests had a direct impact on the markets. The price of cocoa, which oscillated around $ 2,000-3,000 per tonne for more than a decade, exploded more than 12,500 dollars in New York in December 2024, and still remains above $ 10,000 when approaching Valentine’s Day.
(tagstranslate) News