Short Wave: Climate Change Is Here For Your Chocolate
Released August 1, 2025
In the episode titled "Climate Change Is Here For Your Chocolate," NPR's Short Wave delves deep into the precarious state of the global chocolate industry amidst escalating climate challenges. Hosts Emily Kwong and Regina Barber engage in an insightful conversation with Yasmin Tayag, a food, health, and science writer for The Atlantic, to unravel the multifaceted issues threatening one of the world's most beloved treats.
1. Introduction to the Episode
The episode sets the stage by highlighting recent developments in the chocolate market, notably Hershey Company's decision to raise candy prices due to soaring cocoa costs. This serves as a timely entry point to explore the underlying causes and future implications for both producers and consumers.
Emily Kwong introduces Yasmin Tayag:
"Yasmin has been keeping eyes on the evolving chocolate industry for a while. Retail prices for chocolate are soaring as yearly harvests of cocoa are dipping." [02:10]
2. Yasmin Tayag’s Exploration of the Chocolate Industry
Yasmin Tayag shares her personal connection to chocolate and transitions into her professional observations about the industry's transformation. She recounts a taste test of an alternative chocolate product, Choviva, which contains no cocoa, underscoring the industry's shift towards innovative solutions in response to cocoa shortages.
Yasmin Tayag describes the Choviva chocolate:
"Their chocolate is notable because it contains no cocoa." [01:43]
Emily Kwong adds:
"It's giving honestly the flavors of my childhood." [01:56]
3. FDA Standards and Definitions of Chocolate
A critical point of discussion revolves around the regulatory standards that define what can be classified as chocolate. Yasmin elaborates on the FDA's stringent criteria, which mandate a minimum of 10% cocoa content for a product to be officially recognized as chocolate.
Yasmin Tayag explains:
"According to the FDA, chocolate has to contain at minimum 10% cocoa." [04:14]
Emily Kwong seeks clarification:
"And if it's not, it doesn't get to be the big C, the chocolate." [04:22]
4. From Bean to Bar: The Chocolate Production Process
The episode provides a comprehensive overview of the intricate journey from cocoa trees to the final chocolate bar. Yasmin details the delicate nature of cocoa cultivation, emphasizing the trees' specific climatic needs and the labor-intensive processes involved in harvesting and processing the beans.
Yasmin Tayag describes cocoa trees:
"Cocoa trees are known to be very finicky, very fussy plants. They like things to be just so and so." [04:40]
She continues to outline the production stages:
"First step, remove the bean from the fruit. Then the beans are fermented... roasted... split open and that husk is removed... ground down to release cocoa mass... tempering happens... turn that into something like a bar or a chocolate shelf or an egg." [06:13-07:52]
5. Climate Change's Devastating Impact on Cocoa Production
A significant portion of the discussion centers on how climate change is wreaking havoc on cocoa production, primarily in West Africa—the heartland of global cocoa supply. Yasmin highlights the increasing unpredictability of weather patterns, which fosters the spread of diseases like black pod and swollen shoot virus, both of which severely diminish cocoa yields.
Yasmin Tayag explains:
"The weather is becoming really erratic where chocolate is supposed to grow. Most of the world's chocolate comes from two countries in West Africa... heavier than usual rainfall... black pod disease... swollen shoot virus." [08:03-09:38]
She underscores the severe consequences:
"Once it's on a plantation, it spreads rapidly. It can cross into other people's plantations, and the only way to get rid of it is to uproot all the trees and start fresh." [09:38]
6. Socioeconomic Challenges Faced by Cocoa Farmers
Beyond environmental threats, Yasmin sheds light on the dire socioeconomic conditions plaguing cocoa farmers in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. She points out the aging farmer population, inadequate compensation, lack of access to essential resources, and the prevalence of child labor and illegal mining as pressing issues that undermine the industry's sustainability.
Yasmin Tayag discusses farmer struggles:
"They’re paid so little for what they do... set by the governments of those countries... not able to invest in irrigation... often children, people under 15 years old... illegal gold mining." [10:26-11:43]
7. Supply and Demand Dynamics: Rising Prices and Shrinking Portions
The episode navigates the imbalance between dwindling cocoa supplies and escalating global demand for chocolate. Yasmin references statistics indicating an expected 11% drop in global cocoa production and an over 11% price increase for chocolate products in U.S. retail stores. This disparity is leading to higher chocolate prices and reduced package sizes as companies attempt to offset costs.
Yasmin Tayag forecasts consumer impact:
"Chocolate prices are rising and chocolate is getting smaller, or at least like the package sizes are getting smaller." [13:16-13:41]
Emily Kwong suggests consumer shifts:
"Maybe you try out some alternative chocolates." [13:45]
8. The Rise of Alternative Chocolates and Industry Responses
In response to the challenges, the industry is experimenting with alternative chocolate products that either reduce reliance on traditional cocoa or completely eliminate it. Yasmin compares these alternatives to the "fake meat of chocolate," prompting consumers to reconsider their long-standing preferences and the underlying reasons for chocolate’s widespread popularity.
Yasmin Tayag reflects on alternatives:
"It's kind of like the fake meat of chocolate... really makes you ask what made this kind of chocolate so ubiquitous in the first place." [13:45-14:10]
She also emphasizes the potential role of major chocolate companies in mitigating supply issues by investing in sustainable practices:
"The big chocolate makers like Hershey's and Cadbury will finally realize that they have to invest in these small farms if they want to keep up that supply." [11:53-12:48]
9. Future Outlook and Consumer Choices
The episode concludes with a contemplation of the future landscape of chocolate consumption. With no immediate solution to balance supply and demand, consumers may experience higher prices, reduced quantities, and a shift towards alternative products. The sustainability of the chocolate industry hinges on both corporate responsibility and innovative consumer behaviors.
Yasmin Tayag adds:
"None of that is guaranteed. And for now, there is no real way to square the growing demand with the decreased supply." [11:53-12:48]
Emily Kwong wraps up the conversation:
"Yasmin Tayag is a reporter for the Atlantic. Thank you so much for talking to us." [14:10]
10. Production Credits
The episode was produced and fact-checked by Burleigh McCoy, edited by Rebecca Ramirez, with Ko Takasugi Chernovin as the audio engineer.
Conclusion
"Climate Change Is Here For Your Chocolate" offers a compelling examination of how environmental, economic, and social factors intertwine to challenge the future of chocolate. Through expert insights and detailed analysis, the episode underscores the urgent need for sustainable practices within the industry and conscious choices by consumers to preserve this cherished indulgence.