Climate change threatens Valentine’s Day gift of chocolates, charity warns

illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Independent or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: A report from Christian Aid warns that climate change is threatening cocoa production, pushing global chocolate prices up by 400%
• Extreme weather, including droughts and floods, has devastated crops in Ghana and Ivory Coast, which supply over 50% of the world's cocoa
• Farmers are struggling with uncertainty as cocoa plants rot or die due to climate-related diseases

🔭 The context: The crisis began in 2023 when heavy rain during Ghana’s dry season caused cocoa plants to develop black pod disease, followed by a severe drought in 2024 that affected over a million people
• A Climate Central study found that climate change has added at least three weeks of extreme heat per year in cocoa-growing regions
• Rising temperatures are exceeding optimal conditions for cocoa farming, reducing both yield and quality

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Cocoa farming sustains millions of livelihoods, particularly in developing countries
• If climate change continues unchecked, chocolate may become scarcer and more expensive, disproportionately affecting small-scale farmers
• Urgent action is needed to cut emissions and fund climate adaptation strategies for cocoa growers

⏭️ What's next: Christian Aid is calling for increased climate finance to help farmers adapt and for stronger commitments to reduce fossil fuel emissions
• Without intervention, chocolate shortages and soaring prices will persist, potentially driving small chocolatiers out of business
• The crisis highlights the broader economic and social risks of climate change for global agriculture

💬 One quote: “It’s a nightmare. I don’t think any business involved in chocolate has avoided this impact, and it’s all down to climate change.” — Andy Soden, Kernow Chocolate

📈 One stat: Cocoa prices have surged by 400% due to climate-related crop failures

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