Rising costs for cocoa have prompted the makers of the United Kingdom's classic Penguin bars to replace chocolate with new ingredients.

What's happening?

Bloomberg reported on the ingredient shift for these traditionally chocolate-covered biscuits, which are now made using less expensive alternatives. The news organization pointed out that rising grocery costs are a global concern and affect other products like beef. The crisis is largely driven by a surge of crop-damaging severe weather events and droughts linked to rising global temperatures.

As products become more scarce, prices rise. For instance, "poor harvests in West Africa sent cocoa prices soaring," Bloomberg said.

Why are rising food costs important?

Chocolate is not the only commodity getting more expensive because of shifting weather patterns across the globe, and this is changing buying patterns. For instance, Bloomberg reported that people in lower-income brackets in Britain are already cutting back on foods like bread, fish, and vegetables, and drinking less tea and coffee. Spaniards began relying more on sunflower oil after drought and heat across the region stunted olive yields, causing olive oil prices to surge.

While soaring food prices are affecting people across the globe, Britain is getting hit especially hard, with a food price inflation rate that's 4.3%, higher than in other wealthy nations, Bloomberg reported. This is partly due to what the publication calls "post-Brexit red tape," an increase in the taxes that employers pay and costlier packaging rules.

Meanwhile, many countries suffering from food inflation continue to produce immense amounts of food waste. For instance, in the U.S., around 30%-40% of the food supply is wasted every year, per the Environmental Protection Agency.

What's being done about rising food costs and waste?

One way to help fight against rising food costs is to introduce more climate-resilient crops that can withstand a variety of severe weather events and pests. A "super potato" currently in development by researchers at McGill University aims to do just this.

Plus, experts at Texas A&M have produced drought-resistant melons, and researchers at the University of Maryland have developed heat-tolerant apples.

If you want to start saving money on food while reducing food waste, Martie may be a good option. The company takes other brands' overstock and surplus and then sells it to consumers, helping to keep excess food out of the waste stream. Some of its brand-name goods sell for up to 80% off regular retail prices.

Would you buy juice or yogurt made with bruised or misshapen fruit? If I couldn't tell the difference 🤔 If it were cheaper 💰 If it were healthier 🍎 I'd never buy it 🚫 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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