Chocolate eggs and bunnies cost more than ever this Easter – but the farmers who make these treats possible are in dire straits.
Michael E Odijie, an economist at UCL, describes how cocoa production has hit several environmental limits simultaneously, raising production costs.The darker side of chocolate “Historically, farmers have tended to abandon old farms and start anew in fresh forests,” Odijie says, referring to the fact that cocoa trees become more susceptible to disease and so are more expensive to maintain as they age.Making a profit from cocoa is hard despite the price surge.
Even if you only relate to food production as a consumer, you will notice the impact of rising temperatures at the checkout. A new study by German researchers found that food prices could rise 3.2% a year between now and 2035. Research suggests that cocoa farms could be better for nature and more resilient to climate change if farmers planted a greater variety of shady native trees on their land. You may be able to enjoy cocoa from such farms in chocolate bars stamped with a third-party certificate.
Odijie argues that growers should use the cocoa shortage as negotiating leverage against these companies and demand industry-wide solutions.