Prices of cocoa surged by 136% between July 2022 and February 2024, and climate extremes in West Africa’s cocoa belt, which produces 70% of the world’s cocoa, are partly to blame. 

Cocoa — the main ingredient in chocolate — is produced from the bean pods of cacao plants. Cacao thrives under specific ranges of temperature and rainfall. 

Warm to hot temperatures up to 90°F (32°C) are optimal for cacao growth. Temperatures above this range can reduce the quality and quantity of harvests, and climate change is bringing more excessive heat to major cacao-growing regions. 

That’s according to new analysis using Climate Central’s Climate Shift Index (CSI).