Climate Effects in West Africa Cause Chocolate Prices to Soar Worldwide
Ask students: What unusual weather and other conditions have led to poor cocoa harvests? When did the unusual conditions that led to poor harvests begin in West Africa?
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May 1, 2024
Ask students: What unusual weather and other conditions have led to poor cocoa harvests? When did the unusual conditions that led to poor harvests begin in West Africa?
Share
If you’ve shopped for chocolate recently, you may have noticed your favorite items are either smaller or more expensive, or sometimes both. The price of cocoa — the key ingredient in chocolate — is the highest it’s ever been after nearly doubling in the last four months. As Ali Rogin reports, this worldwide shortage has been years in the making.
View the transcript of the story.
Some of the same weather patterns that are causing too much rain in Western Africa is also causing drought in the southern region of the continent. Watch the following video and discuss — how is the United States and the rest of the world impacted by catastrophic weather changes in Africa? What can international aid organizations including the United Nations do to help reduce the impact of these catastrophes?
Republished with permission from PBS NewsHour Classroom.