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Climate Change: Will Chocolate Become a Costly Luxury?
The Week ^ | September 30, 2011 | Staff Writer

Posted on 10/02/2011 9:23:02 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin

Is the world's cocoa supply in danger? That's what a new study from the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) suggests, singling out a familiar culprit: Global warming. The findings [see PDF] reveal that annual temperature increases will hamper the crop-production efforts in West Africa, which currently supplies half of the world's chocolate — at least if preventive measures aren't taken. Here's what you should know:

How hot are we talking?

The study, which consulted 19 climate-change models, indicates that a mere two degrees Celcius increase by 2050 will render areas like Ghana and the Ivory Coast too hot to grow cocoa, says The Washington Post. As cocoa trees struggle to obtain enough water, the developmental stages of cocoa pods that house "the prized cocoa bean" — source of the chocolate we know and love — would be disturbed. The effects of a shortage — including a leap in the price of chocolate — could be felt as soon as 2030.

Well, why not just move the cocoa trees elsewhere?

Rachel Cernansky of TreeHugger points out that "the ideal conditions for cocoa-growing will shift to higher altitudes — but most of West Africa is relatively flat, so there is not a lot of land at higher elevation to move to." Plus, clearing forests to pave way for farmland may actually end up "exacerbating climate change even further."

How would a shortage affect the region?

The cocoa trees play an "absolutely critical role" in the region's rural life, says CIAT's Dr. Peter Läderach, who authored the study. Hundreds of thousands of smallholder farmers use "their cocoa trees like ATM machines," he says. "They pick some pods and sell them to quickly raise cash for school fees or medical expenses."

What kind of preventive measures can be taken?

Farmers could diversify their crops to "spread the risk" and avoid being overly dependent on cocoa, notes TreeHugger's Cernansky. Other solutions include using shady trees to cool growing areas and developing irrigation systems that aren't exclusively weather-dependent.


TOPICS: Conspiracy; Food; Science; Weather
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1 posted on 10/02/2011 9:23:05 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Air will be a costly luxury if the international progressive left gets their way...


2 posted on 10/02/2011 9:25:17 AM PDT by Silverfiddle (Stand With The Heroes, Fight The Zeroes!)
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Y'all should know by NOW where MY priorities lie!

3 posted on 10/02/2011 9:25:47 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set...)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

WHO SAYS temperature will increase by 2 degrees Celsius by 2050? Pure speculation.


4 posted on 10/02/2011 9:25:47 AM PDT by beethovenfan (If Islam is the solution, the "problem" must be freedom.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
The study, which consulted 19 climate-change models...

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!!

5 posted on 10/02/2011 9:26:18 AM PDT by Flycatcher (God speaks to us, through the supernal lightness of birds, in a special type of poetry.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

...if America would just stop using fossil fuels....


6 posted on 10/02/2011 9:26:40 AM PDT by Dogbert41 (http://www.durban3nyc.com/. Go there and learn what those who seek to destroy Israel are up to)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

I sure do miss woolly mammoth burgers. Damn “climate change”.


7 posted on 10/02/2011 9:29:22 AM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (If you always tell the truth, you won't have to remember what you said.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

We needn’t worry about the chocolate supply.

After all, we have a whole chocolate city...


8 posted on 10/02/2011 9:31:22 AM PDT by Old Sarge (Marking time on the government's dime...)
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To: Silverfiddle

That’s correct! Leftists LOOOOVVVVVVEEEE shortages and forcing everyone to stand in line all day.


9 posted on 10/02/2011 9:32:12 AM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine!)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
They wull have to put more air in the chocolat.


10 posted on 10/02/2011 9:33:34 AM PDT by mjp ((pro-{God, reality, reason, egoism, individualism, natural rights, limited government, capitalism}))
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

I’ll gladly sacrifice the backyard and plant some cocoa trees.


11 posted on 10/02/2011 9:35:11 AM PDT by bgill (There, happy now?)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

SOOOoooo....according to this article’s “logic” YOU in Wisconsin may be able to GROW COCOA trees!


12 posted on 10/02/2011 9:43:28 AM PDT by goodnesswins (My Kid/Grandkids are NOT your ATM, liberals! (Sarah Palin))
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Why not just grow cocoa plants in the areas of the Americas where the conditions are right? It worked for Kiwi fruit and Pistacio nuts, and brought down the cost, too...

Even if the human caused global warming bulls*** had any credence-and it does not-weren’t the Native Americans in what is now southern Mexico and South America using cocoa/chocolate to drink in pre-Columbian times? So were they importing the beans by the boatload from Africa, or were they growing it themselves?


13 posted on 10/02/2011 9:44:09 AM PDT by Texan5 ("You've got to saddle up your boys, you've got to draw a hard line...")
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
"the ideal conditions for cocoa-growing will shift to higher altitudes

Toblerone will love being able to use locally grown alpine cocoa.

14 posted on 10/02/2011 9:44:30 AM PDT by KarlInOhio (Compare "Delay is preferable to error" - Thomas Jefferson // "Pass this bill now!" - Barack Obama)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

There’s artificial chocolate...


15 posted on 10/02/2011 9:55:17 AM PDT by Red Badger (We cannot defeat an enemy that the president and hence his administration cannot name.......)
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To: Texan5

***Why not just grow cocoa plants in the areas of the Americas where the conditions are right?***

Chocolate was rationed during WWII - don’t remember why. But it seems of all the State Agricultural Departments we have - surely one State has the right topography and climate for this valuable crop.


16 posted on 10/02/2011 9:55:53 AM PDT by sodpoodle (God is ignoring me - because He is watching you.)
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To: goodnesswins

I can’t wait to start a banana plantation here in Indiana!


17 posted on 10/02/2011 9:58:10 AM PDT by nascarnation
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To: mjp

Hershey stole the concept of aerated chocolate from Nestle’s Aero bars. My friends used to bring me Aero bars from England, but now my local grocery store occasionally carries them in their international foods section.


18 posted on 10/02/2011 10:00:18 AM PDT by toothfairy86
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

I read something in the past year that talked about the dying cacao industry in the Caribbean. It’s dying because farmers make more money with other crops. How are their temps?


19 posted on 10/02/2011 10:01:44 AM PDT by PrincessB (Drill Baby Drill.)
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To: beethovenfan
Pretty much humbug. A two degree change is within the normal range of variation from year to year. Insignificant. Water probably will be a bigger factor if they increase need for irrigation etc.
20 posted on 10/02/2011 10:03:54 AM PDT by hinckley buzzard
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