Will we already be without chocolate in 2050? Experts predict that it will disappear in 30 years, as cocoa trees are disappearing due to global warming. Cocoa trees grow near the equator under very specific conditions, and even a rise in temperature of just 2.1 degrees Celsius can cause great damage.
Experts they anticipate that this will be a sweet and prized commodity ran out in 30 to 40 years, as cocoa farmers are already struggling to survive in a warm climate. Trees can grow about 20 degrees north and south of the equator, but they thrive under special conditions such as high humidity and heavy rainfall. But already the rise in temperature by only 2.1 degrees Celsius over the next 30 years, which is thought to be caused by global warming, could be fatal for the plant. As a result, it is also fatal for the global chocolate industry.
As the mercury rises, water evaporates from the soil and plants, and scientists don't believe rainfall will increase enough to replace the lost liquid. That means they will moved cocoa growing areas to mountainous terrain, where rare wild animals are carefully preserved. In countries such as Ivory Coast and Ghana - they produce more than half of the cocoa here - will have to face an agonizing question: whether they will preserve the world's cocoa supply or save the dying ecosystems.
Last year, experts predicted the world was headed for a 'chocolate deficit' as shoppers in developing countries bought more of the sweet. According to research Destruction by Chocolate the typical Western consumer consumes approx 286 chocolate bars, even more so if it comes from Belgium. For 286 tablets, the manufacturer must raise 10 cocoa beans, so that it can make cocoa and cocoa butter, key ingredients in chocolate production.
More information:
climate.gov
