Climate Change Threatens Cocoa Despite Sustainable Chocolate Push

Takeaways

• Climate change is severely affecting cocoa farming through droughts, floods, heatwaves, and crop diseases, making global cocoa supplies increasingly unstable.
• Chocolate companies are improving ethical sourcing and transparency, but sustainability efforts alone are not protecting farmers from climate risks.
• Experts say the industry must focus on climate resilience, fair farmer incomes, and adaptive farming systems to secure the future of cocoa production.

The global chocolate industry is becoming more sustainable, but climate change continues to threaten the future of cocoa production.

Extreme weather events across major cocoa-growing regions have disrupted harvests in recent years, pushing cocoa prices higher and exposing weaknesses in global cocoa supply chains. While chocolate brands are investing heavily in ethical sourcing, traceability, and sustainable cocoa production, experts warn that these measures alone are not enough to solve the deeper climate crisis affecting farmers.

Cocoa is one of the world’s most climate-sensitive crops. It grows best within a narrow range of temperatures and rainfall conditions, mainly in countries near the equator, such as the Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Ecuador. However, changing weather patterns are making these conditions harder to maintain.

Heavy rainfall and flooding damaged crops across West Africa in 2023, leading to plant diseases and rotting cocoa pods. Soon after, severe droughts and heatwaves linked to El Niño struck many of the same regions in early 2024, reducing yields and damaging cocoa trees further.

Read More: Barry Callebaut’s Sustainability Drive Faces Cocoa and Child Labour Hurdles

Climate pressures are also affecting cocoa-growing countries outside Africa, including Indonesia, Peru, and Mexico, where extreme heat and wildfires have impacted smallholder farms.

A 2025 study published in the Agricultural and Forest Meteorology journal warned that the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon could lose up to half of their cocoa-suitable land by 2050 due to climate change.

Despite these challenges, major chocolate companies are expanding sustainability efforts. Firms such as Barry Callebaut and Cargill are using satellite-based mapping systems to track cocoa from farms to warehouses, helping improve transparency and reduce deforestation risks.

Meanwhile, Tony’s Chocolonely is working to improve farmer incomes by paying closer to living wage standards. Nestlé has also introduced programs that reward farmers for sustainable practices and for keeping children in school.

Large chocolate manufacturers such as Mondelēz International are also reducing plastic packaging and increasing the use of recyclable materials.

These initiatives have improved accountability and consumer confidence, especially as more buyers demand ethical sourcing and environmentally responsible products. However, industry experts say sustainability programs often fail to address the deeper economic and climate vulnerabilities facing cocoa farmers.

Many farmers in West Africa still struggle with extreme poverty, making it difficult to invest in irrigation systems, shade trees, or climate-resilient agriculture practices. Certification premiums are often too small to protect farmers from rising climate risks or unstable cocoa prices.

The industry is also facing a growing labor challenge. Many younger people are leaving cocoa farming because of low incomes and uncertain futures, raising concerns about long-term production capacity.

Experts increasingly believe the cocoa sector must move beyond sustainability branding and focus instead on resilience. Agroforestry systems, where cocoa is grown alongside native trees and other crops, are being promoted as a way to improve biodiversity, protect soil health, and reduce heat stress.

Intercropping cocoa with bananas or plantains could also help farmers diversify incomes and improve food security during poor harvests.

At the same time, preserving pollinator habitats and developing drought-resistant cocoa varieties are becoming critical for future yields.

Industry leaders say long-term contracts and fairer pricing systems will also be necessary to reduce farmer poverty and strengthen cocoa farming communities against climate shocks.

Also Read: Definitions of Sustainability: A to Z Guide on Sustainability

As climate risks intensify, experts warn that sustainable chocolate alone cannot secure the future of cocoa. Building climate resilience across farming systems, supply chains, and rural economies may ultimately determine whether the world can continue producing chocolate at scale in the decades ahead.

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Source: Forbes