The International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), has published research finding that an expected annual temperature rise of more than two degrees Celsius by 2050 will leave many of West Africa's cocoa-producing areas too hot for chocolate. The report anticipates that areas of cocoa suitability will begin to decline as soon as 2030, as average temperatures increase by one degree Celsius. Warmer conditions mean the heat-sensitive cocoa trees will struggle to get enough water during the growing season, curtailing the development of cocoa pods. The trees are also expected to struggle as the region's dry season becomes increasingly intense. By 2050, a rise of 2.3 degrees Celsius will drastically affect production in lowland regions, including the major cocoa-producing areas of Moyen-Comoe, Sud-Comoe and Agneby in Cote d'Ivoire, and Western and Brong Ahafo in Ghana. Farmers in these areas are particularly vulnerable since cocoa production is often their primary source of income.
To read the press release and download the full report see here.
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