Climate change threatens global cocoa production: New study highlights pollination-based solutions

Why is chocolate so expensive in Louisvile and southern Indiana?

Chocolates(Jessica Loaiza / Unsplash)Bill Burton: It's time for Science Behind the Forecast as I am joined by WAVE 3 meteorologist Tawana Andrew. Good morning, Tawana.Tawana Andrew: Good morning. This topic is for the people with the sweet tooth that are just craving something right now.BB: Yeah, Valentine's Day was a couple of weeks ago, kind of the height of chocolate season. But let's be honest. All 52 weeks really are chocolate season and th…

Pollinator decline & climate change threaten chocolate production

The global chocolate industry is worth roughly $100 billion per year and provides income for upwards of 6 million smallholder farmers in the tropics. It’s a vital industry for much of the world, but a new study finds cacao production is limited by two important factors: pollination and temperature. As pollinators decline globally and the world continues to warm amid climate change, researchers warn that cocoa production may suffer. Cacao plants …

Climate change threatens global cocoa production: New study highlights pollination-based solutions

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) is a vital cash-crop for four to six million small-holder farmers across the tropics, and supports a global chocolate industry valued at over USD 100 billion annually. The combination of millions of farmers relying on cocoa for their livelihoods, and increasing global demand for the crop, has driven cocoa plantation expansion and intensification of farming practices, often at the expense of biodiversity and long-term s…

Climate, Resources, and Conflict: Understanding the Perfect Storm Threatening Global Stability

Climate change is reordering the world from the rise of sea levels to the increase of natural disasters in a manner that is largely unthought of. From ecosystem impacts to economic to human societies, the consequences are far-reaching in each regard. Yet beyond its environmental impacts, climate change increasingly overshadows conflict. As Earth’s natural systems […]