The Future of Chocolate is in Danger: How Climate Change is Harming West Africa’s Cocoa Farms

February 16, 2025 / activist360

A close-up of cacao pods hanging from a tree branch. One pod is green and healthy, while the other is yellowed. The tree’s bark is rough, surrounded by green leaves. Credit: Tope A. Asokere on Pexels.

The Chocolate Crisis You Didn’t See Coming

Imagine walking into your favorite store, craving a bar of smooth, rich chocolate, only to find that prices have skyrocketed—or worse, your favorite brand is no longer available. It sounds extreme, but this could be the reality in the not-so-distant future. West Africa produces 70% of the world’s cacao, the key ingredient in chocolate, but climate change is making it harder to grow. Rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, and increasing crop diseases are threatening cacao farms.

This isn’t just bad news for chocolate lovers. Millions of farmers depend on cacao to feed their families and support their communities. If cacao production continues to decline, their livelihoods—and the world’s chocolate supply—are at risk.

Where Does Chocolate Come From? (And Why Should You Care?)

Most of us don’t think about where chocolate comes from—we just enjoy it. But before that delicious bar reaches your hands, it starts as a pod growing on a delicate cacao tree.

Cacao trees thrive in warm, humid climates, but there’s a catch—they can’t handle extreme heat. The ideal temperature for cacao trees is below 32°C (89.6°F), and anything hotter can start causing serious problems.

The biggest producers of cacao—Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon, and Nigeria—rely on these trees for their economies. More than 9 million farmers and workers depend on cacao farming to survive. But now, climate change is pushing temperatures past safe levels, and cacao trees are suffering.

Rising Temperatures Are Hurting Cacao Farms

Cacao trees have been growing in West Africa for centuries, but in recent years, farmers have noticed something disturbing: it’s getting too hot for their crops.

Since 2015, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire have had 40 extra days per year where temperatures rise above 32°C.
In 2024, 71% of cacao-producing areas experienced six extra weeks of extreme heat.

Why does this matter? Because excessive heat weakens cacao trees.

Too much heat reduces photosynthesis, slowing growth and lowering cacao yields.
Cacao pods shrivel up or grow smaller, reducing the amount of chocolate that can be made.
Farmers are losing money, and global chocolate prices are rising.

One farmer in Côte d’Ivoire described it best:

The leaves used to protect our cacao pods from the sun. Now, they fall off too soon, and the pods dry out before we can harvest them.

The result? Lower quality cacao, smaller harvests, and more expensive chocolate.

Too Much Rain, Then Not Enough

If rising temperatures weren’t bad enough, cacao trees now face another major problem: wildly unpredictable rainfall.

Cacao farming depends on steady, well-distributed rain—about 1,500 to 2,000 mm per year. But thanks to climate change, rainfall has become chaotic:

In July 2024, Côte d’Ivoire received 40% more rain than expected. Farms flooded, cacao pods rotted, and entire crops were lost.
In December 2024, some regions received almost no rain. Without water, cacao trees wilted, and pods stopped growing.

It’s a double disaster: too much rain drowns the crops, too little leaves them starving. Farmers can’t predict when to plant or harvest, and each year gets more uncertain.

It’s Not Just the Weather, There are Other Threats to Cacao Farming

As if extreme heat and unpredictable rainfall weren’t enough, cacao farmers face even more obstacles.

Pests & Diseases Are Spreading Faster Than Ever

Warmer temperatures help pests thrive, especially mealybugs, tiny insects that spread the deadly Cacao Swollen Shoot Virus (CSSV).

600,000 hectares of cacao farms in Ghana were infected with CSSV in 2023.
This disease alone caused a 17% drop in Ghana’s cacao production.

When cacao trees get infected, they stop producing pods and eventually die. Farmers are losing entire farms to this disease, and finding ways to stop it is difficult.

Smuggling & Illegal Mining are Stealing Cacao Farmers’ Livelihoods

Cacao farming is already tough work, but low wages are forcing some farmers to sell their crops to smugglers or even give up farming entirely.

Ghana lost 160,000 tons of cacao to smugglers in the 2023/2024 season—three times more than the previous year.
Some farmers are leasing their land to illegal miners because mining pays better than farming.

The problem? Mining damages the land, making it impossible to farm cacao again. Once a farmer gives up their land, they may never be able to return to growing cacao.

Can Anything Be Done? Yes—But It Will Take Effort.

Despite these challenges, there are solutions that can help protect cacao farming. Here’s what’s being done:

Planting Shade Trees (Agroforestry)

Farmers are planting taller trees, like banana, mango, and cashew, to protect cacao from extreme heat.
These trees cool down cacao farms and improve soil moisture.

Fighting Pests & Disease

Scientists are working on disease-resistant cacao trees to fight CSSV.
Better pest management techniques could reduce losses by 17% per year.

Fair Trade & Financial Support

Programs that pay farmers fair wages reduce smuggling and illegal mining.
More financial support means farmers can afford climate adaptation strategies.

These solutions are helping, but they need global support to make a real impact.

You might be wondering—what can I actually do? Here are some ideas:

Choose ethical chocolate by looking for Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, or Direct Trade labels. These brands support sustainable cacao farming and fair wages for farmers.
Support reforestation projects. Some groups help plant shade trees on cacao farms to protect crops from climate change. Supporting these efforts helps cacao trees survive extreme weather.
Tell your friends and family about this issue.

Final Thoughts

Chocolate isn’t just a treat—it’s a lifeline for millions of farmers. But if climate change continues at this rate, chocolate could become a rare luxury. The good news? We still have time to act. By choosing sustainable chocolate, supporting reforestation, and spreading awareness, we can help protect cacao farming for generations to come.

Source: Climate Central. (2025, February 12). Climate change is heating up West Africa’s cocoa belt. Climate Central. Retrieved from https://www.climatecentral.org/

Glacial Floods, Climate Change, and What the U.S. Can Learn from the Himalayas Disaster

February 2, 2025 / activist360

Field evidence of sediment aggradation. (A to F) Photographs taken along the Teesta River show the aggradation of the sediments transported by the flood cascade and its impact. Latitude, longitude, and elevation (in m a.s.l) are at top right; locality name and distance from SLL are at bottom right. Photo credits: Praful Rao (study co-author).

A Disaster Unfolds

Imagine waking up in the middle of the night to a roaring wall of water crashing through your town. That’s what happened in Sikkim, India, on October 3, 2023. A glacial lake high in the Himalayas burst suddenly, sending a flood of 50 million cubic meters of water rushing downstream. Villages were washed away, bridges collapsed, and a massive hydropower dam was completely destroyed.

The flood traveled 385 kilometers, even reaching parts of Bangladesh. This was no ordinary flood—it was a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF), a type of disaster that’s becoming more frequent as the planet warms.

What Caused the Flood?

At the heart of this disaster was South Lhonak Lake, one of the fastest-growing glacial lakes in the Himalayas. Scientists have been watching it for years, warning that its natural dam—made of ice and rock—was getting weaker.

Then, the worst happened:

A 14.7-million cubic meter chunk of frozen land collapsed into the lake.
This triggered a 20-meter-high wave—as tall as a six-story building.
The wave smashed through the natural dam, sending a torrent of water and debris barreling down the valley.

Think of it like a bathtub overflowing, except instead of a few gallons of water, it was millions of tons rushing out all at once.

The Impact: Lives, Land, and Infrastructure Lost

The destruction was swift and brutal:

55 people lost their lives, and 74 are still missing.
More than 7,000 people were displaced, their homes and villages washed away.
31 bridges, 25,900 buildings, and 276 square kilometers of farmland were destroyed.
The flood carried away 270 million cubic meters of sediment—enough to fill 100,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Entire communities were left without power, food, or clean water, and the road to recovery is long.

The Role of Climate Change

So, why did this happen? The simple answer: climate change.

The South Lhonak Glacier has been melting faster than ever, losing 0.58 meters of ice every year.
The lake it feeds has grown dramatically in the past few decades.
Warming permafrost (frozen soil) is making mountain slopes unstable, increasing the risk of landslides and dam failures.

This isn’t just a Sikkim problem—glaciers around the world are melting at record speeds, putting millions of people at risk.

Could This Happen Again?

Unfortunately, yes. Scientists warn that South Lhonak Lake is still unstable.

The natural dam is eroding, making another flood likely.
Riverbanks weakened by the last flood could collapse, leading to more destruction.
Extreme rainfall—which is increasing due to climate change—could trigger another disaster.

And it’s not just Sikkim—other glacier-fed lakes in the Himalayas, the Andes, and even North America are showing similar warning signs.

Why This Matters

If you think this is just a distant problem, think again. The same climate forces that caused the Sikkim flood are also affecting other mountainous regions worldwide.

Melting Glaciers Are a Global Issue

Glaciers are retreating in Alaska, the Rocky Mountains, and the Pacific Northwest. As ice melts at a faster rate, more glacial lakes are forming, increasing the chances of floods like the one in Sikkim. If we don’t prepare, communities in mountainous regions of the U.S. could face similar disasters.

U.S. Disasters Are Increasing

The 2022 Yellowstone flood destroyed roads, bridges, and homes, forcing many residents to evacuate. In California, record-breaking storms and floods are becoming more frequent, causing billions in damage. Extreme weather events—whether floods, hurricanes, or wildfires—are getting stronger, deadlier, and harder to predict.

Our Infrastructure Is at Risk

Just like the Teesta-III dam in Sikkim collapsed, many worldwide dams, roads, and power plants are vulnerable to extreme weather. Many of these structures were built decades ago and weren’t designed to handle the kinds of disasters we’re seeing today.

We Can Learn

By taking action now, the U.S. can prevent similar disasters:

Invest in early warning systems—monitor unstable lakes and glaciers.
Upgrade infrastructure—build flood-resistant bridges and roads.
Plan for extreme weather—ensure communities are prepared for disasters.

Preventing Another Tragedy

While we can’t stop glaciers from melting overnight, we can take steps to reduce the damage.

Early Warning Systems (EWS)

Science and technology give us powerful tools to predict disasters before they happen. Governments and scientists must monitor unstable lakes and glaciers using satellites, sensors, and AI-driven models. These systems can detect early signs of danger, giving communities valuable time to evacuate before disaster strikes. Investing in real-time alerts and community education could save thousands of lives.

Building Stronger Infrastructure

We need to rethink how we design bridges, roads, and power plants. Structures built decades ago were not designed to handle the kinds of extreme weather we’re facing today. Engineers and policymakers must ensure that new infrastructure is flood-resistant and that existing structures are reinforced to withstand future disasters. This kind of investment is expensive, but the cost of doing nothing is far greater.

Preparing for Disasters

Education and preparation can mean the difference between life and death. Governments and communities must train people on emergency evacuation plans and improve international cooperation to respond to climate disasters. Since floods and other extreme weather events are increasing, being prepared is no longer optional—it’s essential.

Addressing Climate Change at Its Root

At the core of these disasters is a warming planet. To slow down glacial melting, we need to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Governments, businesses, and individuals can all play a role by switching to clean energy sources, reducing waste, and advocating for policies that combat climate change. These actions will protect glaciers, and help stabilize global weather patterns.

A Wake-Up Call

The Sikkim flood wasn’t just a freak event—it was a preview of what’s to come if we don’t act now. The good news? We still have time to prepare. By investing in early warning systems, better infrastructure, and climate solutions, we can reduce the risk of future disasters—both in the Himalayas and here at home.

Source: Sattar, A., Cook, K. L., Rai, S. K., Berthier, E., Allen, S., Rinzin, S., Van Wyk de Vries, M., Haeberli, W., Kushwaha, P., Shugar, D. H., Emmer, A., Haritashya, U. K., Frey, H., Rao, P., Gurudin, K. S. K., Rai, P., Rajak, R., Hossain, F., Huggel, C., … Younis Bhat, S. (2025). The Sikkim flood of October 2023: Drivers, causes, and impacts of a multihazard cascade. Science.

How Fossil Fuels, Plastics, and Agrichemicals Delay Climate Action

January 26, 2025 / activist360

Split-screen visual with two contrasting scenes: Left Side: A sandy beach littered with plastic waste, including plastic bottles, straws, and various other trash items, emphasizing pollution and environmental degradation. Right Side: A serene and clean beach at sunset, with a golden sun reflecting on the calm waves of the ocean, symbolizing natural beauty and a sustainable, unpolluted environment. The image symbolizes the contrasts between environmental harm and the potential for a clean, thriving ecosystem.

Unmasking Climate Obstruction

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time, but did you know that some of the biggest industries in the world are working together to block meaningful action? Fossil fuels, plastics, and agrichemicals are deeply connected, and they often use clever strategies to delay or deny the need for urgent climate action. These industries are obstructing progress and impacting on our planet as well as the health of ourselves and our loved ones.

Fossil Fuels and Climate Change

The Root of the Problem

Burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas is the main driver of climate change. These fuels release greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere. These gases trap heat, causing the Earth’s temperature to rise. This leads to more extreme weather, rising sea levels, and harm to ecosystems and biodiversity.

But the problem doesn’t stop there. The fossil fuel industry is deeply connected to two other major industries: plastics and agrichemicals. Together, these industries form a powerful network that resists policies aimed at reducing fossil fuel use.

Plastics and Agrichemicals: Hidden Contributors

Plastics and Pollution

Plastics are made from fossil fuels, and their production contributes significantly to climate change. Every year, millions of tons of plastic waste end up in our oceans, harming marine life and ecosystems. Over time, plastics break down into tiny particles called microplastics, which pollute water, soil, and even the food we eat.

Agrichemicals and Their Impact

Industrial farming relies heavily on chemicals like fertilizers and pesticides, which are also made from fossil fuels. These chemicals can contaminate water sources, harm wildlife, and disrupt ecosystems. For example, pesticides can kill beneficial insects like bees, which are crucial for pollinating crops. Fertilizers can cause algal blooms in water bodies, leading to “dead zones” where marine life cannot survive.

How Industries Block Climate Action

Social Media and Misleading Messaging

Companies in these industries often use social media platforms like X to spread messages that downplay the urgency of climate action. They ignore the problem of our reliance on fossil fuels. For example, ExxonMobil has promoted carbon capture technology as a solution, but this technology is not yet widely used and doesn’t address the continued extraction of fossil fuels.

Shifting Blame to Individuals

Instead of taking responsibility, these industries often shift the blame to individuals. They might encourage people to recycle more or use less water, while ignoring their own role in creating pollution and climate change. This tactic distracts from the need for large-scale, systemic changes.

Greenwashing

Many companies engage in “greenwashing,” where they make themselves appear environmentally friendly without taking meaningful action. For instance, they might highlight small sustainability projects while continuing to expand fossil fuel production. This creates a false impression that they are part of the solution, when in reality, they are part of the problem.

Lobbying Against Change

These industries spend millions of dollars lobbying governments to resist stricter environmental regulations. They argue that such rules would hurt the economy and cost jobs, even though these regulations are essential for protecting the planet and public health.

Impact on Biodiversity and Health

Harm to Wildlife

The production and use of fossil fuels, plastics, and agrichemicals have devastating effects on biodiversity. For example:

Plastics harm marine life, with animals like turtles and seabirds often mistaking plastic for food.
Pesticides kill beneficial insects like bees, which are vital for pollinating crops and maintaining ecosystems.
Fossil fuel extraction destroys habitats and contributes to deforestation, threatening endangered species.

Health Risks

These industries also pose serious risks to human health:

Air and water pollution from fossil fuel extraction and processing can cause respiratory diseases and other health problems such as cancer.
Chemicals from plastics and agrichemicals can contaminate drinking water and food supplies, leading to long-term health issues, including cancer.

What Can We Do?

Raise Awareness

One of the most important steps is to raise awareness about how these industries work together to block climate action. Share articles like this one, and talk to friends and family about the issue. The more people know, the harder it will be for these industries to continue their obstruction.

Support Stronger Regulations

Advocate for policies that limit fossil fuel production and promote clean energy. Contact your local representatives and let them know that you support stricter environmental regulations.

Reduce Your Reliance on Plastics and Chemicals

While individual actions alone won’t solve the problem, they can still make a difference. Reduce your use of single-use plastics, choose organic foods when possible, and support sustainable farming practices.

Hold Companies Accountable

Support organizations and campaigns that hold fossil fuel, plastic, and agrichemical companies accountable for their actions. Look for brands that are genuinely committed to sustainability and avoid those that engage in greenwashing.

Summing Up

The fossil fuel, plastics, and agrichemical industries are deeply connected and often work together to resist climate action. They use social media, lobbying, and misleading messaging to delay or deny the need for urgent action, all while continuing to harm the environment and public health. To address climate change, we need to look beyond just energy and focus on the entire petrochemical industry, including plastics and agrichemicals.

By raising awareness, supporting stronger regulations, and making sustainable choices, we can push back against these industries and work toward a healthier, more sustainable future. Together, we can unmask climate obstruction and demand real action for our planet.

Source: Kinol, A., Si, Y., Kinol, J., & Stephens, J. C. (2025). Networks of climate obstruction: Discourses of denial and delay in US fossil energy, plastic, and agrichemical industries. PLOS Climate, 4(1), Article e0000370. https://journals.plos.org/climate/article?id=10.1371/journal.pclm.0000370.