Your morning cup of coffee or favorite chocolatey treat may be increasing in price due to rising global temperatures. Call it another marker of how human-caused environmental pressures are reshaping the planet — and our lives.
What's happening?
Global coffee roasters and chocolate makers are struggling to cope as volatile weather — including droughts and temperature fluctuations — impact crop yields and quality. These reduced yields are straining supply chains and driving up prices for growers, producers, and consumers alike.
A report from Lost Coast Outpost highlighted how major coffee-producing regions like Tanzania, Uganda, Brazil, Colombia, and Vietnam are facing severe shortages. As a result, the International Coffee Organization reported that wholesale coffee prices have hit a 13-year high.
"Everybody in the coffee business is dealing with this; it doesn't matter how big or small you are," Luci Ramirez of Humboldt Bay Coffee Company and Familia Coffee in California told Lost Coast Outpost.
Ramirez recently visited Tanzania for a coffee conference, experiencing erratic weather in the coffee-producing region.
"It was February, sunny and hot — and then all of a sudden there was a torrential downpour," Ramirez told Lost Coast Outpost. "The native people there say this has been happening more and more."
During unseasonable downpours, blooms get knocked off coffee plants, meaning they will never mature coffee bean-holding drupes. Ramirez used to produce 15 containers of beans annually, but a lack of crops has her coffee business now producing seven or fewer.
As for chocolate, rising temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns cause heat stress and disease, resulting in smaller pods and decreased yields. As with the coffee market, the shortage is causing prices to skyrocket. ABC News reported that chocolate prices quadrupled last year, reaching a 50-year high.
Adam Dick, co-owner of California-based Dick Taylor Craft Chocolates, told Lost Coast Outpost that he bought specialty cocoa for about $6,500 a ton just a few years ago. His most recent order from Belize rang in at just above $18,000 a ton.
"It's pretty hard to fathom those numbers," he told Lost Coast Outpost. "Every time I buy cocoa, it's like the same price as buying a car."
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Definitely 👍 Though producers and customers are feeling the price hike, Dick told Lost Coast Outpost that farmers are typically "the ones that lose," getting paid the least out of anyone in the supply chain.
Why is the rising price of coffee and chocolate important?
Extreme weather driven by human-caused climate shifts poses a major threat to global food security. While a shortage of coffee and cocoa may seem minor, extreme climate shifts are impacting crops far beyond these items — and that's likely to be felt in all areas of your grocery bill.
Still, the economic effects are far more devastating for farmers and producers whose livelihoods depend on stable harvests. As crop yields decline, overall prices rise due to scarcity, and farming communities face growing economic pressure. To maintain their livelihoods, some farmers turn to intensive farming practices or expand into forested areas, leading to deforestation, biodiversity loss, and further environmental damage. These shifts are especially concerning in tropical regions where crops like coffee and cacao are already under climate stress.
This crisis highlights the vital need for more sustainable, climate-minded farming practices — and the importance of planet-conscious living overall.
What's being done about the rising price of coffee and chocolate?
Coffee and chocolate producers told Lost Coast Outpost that they don't expect prices to drop anytime soon. In fact, with human-caused climate shifts worsening, they are prepping for even more trouble.
However, there is hope. Scientists are working to develop drought- and disease-resistant coffee and cocoa varieties. Some farmers are also planting shade trees with coffee and cacao crops to enhance soil health and support moisture retention, also offering farmers extra income from fruit or timber. With the encouragement and support of environmental organizations, farmers are also employing more sustainable farming methods to support their crops — and the planet.
All of these efforts aim to protect the environment, support farmers, and keep your favorite drinks and treats available and affordable in the future.
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