Based on a research in the journal Climatic Change, global food production could drop 0.5% within the incoming 7 years. And by mid-century, an astounding 2.3%.

And global welfare losses could go beyond $200 billion in 2050. All these brought about by one thing: Climate Change.

An Oilprice.com report says the "study ranks the UK, France, Germany, the US and Russia as medium-risk countries in terms of climate-change effects, while Bangladesh, India and the majority of African countries are listed as the most vulnerable economies."

The main reason behind this unfortunate phenomenon is that immense changes in ground components and soil moisture can be caused by climate change. Water supply is also affected. That said, long-term alterations in agricultural production are imminent. The saline content of seawater is also altered when there is rise in sea levels. These changes could accumulate and cause a mess in the trade patterns between nations.

Such research also claims that there is a threat to the production of staple food items, as well. This includes rice, hence the forthcoming interruption in its importation and exportation patterns.  It would reach up to 50% higher than the standard price of today. And rice, being a trade commodity, can have far-reaching impacts on  production and exportation. All hail, climate change!

Even the prices of fruits and veggies are expected to skyrocket by 30%. Should that happen, they will no longer be your everyday side dish, they will be more like luxury commodities. What a buzzkill.

However,  the thing that troubles the producers and distributors the most is the effect climate change could bring about on agricultural stuff that have been part of our lives on a daily basis since time immemorial, such as chili peppers, honey, apples, coffee , beer, and I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but chocolate included. *cue tears*

As Oilprice.com put it: "Between 2030 and 2050 a warming planet will affect land suitable for cocoa production. And experts note that higher temperatures have already caused big swings in the price of cocoa in recent years. For instance, half of the world’s cocoa comes from Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire, and temperatures [there] are forecast to rise by 2.3 degrees Celsius by the middle of the century. If this happens, the breeding of cocoa pods will be affected, production will plummet and prices will rise exponentially."

When it comes down to it, here are the solutions: Usage of massive tracts of land for the production of high-quality barley or change gears by planting biofuels for a cleaner environment. Certainly, these choices are hard to come by. Imagine a world without beer,  coffee, and chocolate. Makes me cringe. Sends shivers down my spine. It's ugly. 🙁

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Joanna Maligaya

Staff Writer/Content Developer at Chocolate University Online

Ever since she can remember, Joanna has always considered chocolate as the ultimate food for her soul. She believes in the saying, “9 out of 10 people love chocolate, and the 10th always lies.”

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