Climate Matters: Scary candy prices linked to climate change

While shopping for Halloween treats, chocolate lovers may instead find a few tricks this season. That's because cocoa prices have soared in recent years and remained at record highs, according to a recent report from Wells Fargo. This is putting strain on producers and could mean fewer chocolates filling up candy buckets this year.

Scary chocolate prices hit consumers long before the spooky season rolled in. Following Valentine's and Easter Day woes, CNN reported chocolate prices jumped 17% in the last two years. While part of the problem stems from increased packaging and labor costs, a disruptive climate is also affecting cocoa production around the world.

Cocoa thrives best in warm, steady climates with lots of moisture, which can only be found in certain parts of the tropics. The vast majority of cocoa is produced in western Africa; over 50% of the world's cocoa comes from just two countries there, The Ivory Coast and Ghana. These spots are known for their fertile soil and plentiful rain, but a changing climate can be a fright for these growing regions.

A warm El Nino pattern that peaked last year brought increased temperatures and drought stress, followed by flooding that has spread fungal diseases among cocoa plants in western Africa. Other cocoa-producing regions in Brazil have also seen widespread killing frosts in recent years that damaged and destroyed crops.

As chocolate becomes more expensive, some candy lovers may have turned to other sweets. According to a report from the National Confectioner's Association, the growth in sales of non-chocolates (12.1%) was double the growth of chocolate candy (5.8%) last year. Still, our appetite for chocolate has never been sweeter, as chocolate makes up over half of all candy purchases today.

Jennifer Dowdney, owner of Blair and Co Confectionery in Osage Beach, says she has noticed a steady increase in the price of cocoa over the years. Her family has owned and managed their candy store for decades, and they have a wide selection of gummies and taffies available alongside their chocolates. Jennifer says this variety allows them to maintain steady prices with only small increases over time. But, she says even the chocolate had to go up a small bit due to recent sharp increases in cocoa prices.