A chocolate Crisis: Why are Farmers Destroying Their Own Crops?

Douglas McIntyre, Editor-in-Chief at Climate Crisis, reports on cocoa farmers in West Africa, where two-thirds of the world’s cocoa is produced. Some farmers are destroying their crops, citing diseased roots that could infect nearby plants. However, extreme weather—droughts and floods—has already reduced yields, and there’s speculation that farmers might be destroying crops to limit supply and drive up prices. With global chocolate demand flat but supply dropping, the true reasons behind this practice remain unclear.