Climate change is a key reason your chocolate Easter egg could cost more this year, according to researchers.
Most global production is concentrated in West Africa. In 2023, 58m kilogrammes of cocoa beans worth £127m were imported to the UK from Ivory Coast and Ghana with 85% of the UK's cocoa beans sourced from Ivory Coast.This has been caused by temperatures that soared above 40C, breaking records in countries including the Ivory Coast and Ghana.
He said the high temperatures increased the rate of evaporation, leaving the crops without sufficient moisture.This is a recurring, natural fluctuation in weather patterns in the tropical Pacific that drives up global temperatures and can lead to extreme weather in some places. A strong El Niño has been active since last June.
Drought is not the only factor affecting cocoa growers. Both Ivory Coast and Ghana have been hit with an extreme weather double whammy.In December last year, both countries experienced intense rains. Total precipitation in West Africa was more than double the 30-year average for the time of year. Chocolate makers typically buy beans months ahead of time but soaring prices are now beginning to affect prices in the shops.