Climate change drives up chocolate prices for Halloween

High chocolate prices may spook some shoppers this Halloween season as cocoa continues to get more expensive.

Cocoa prices have more than doubled in the past year due to unfavorable growing conditions in areas where cocoa is produced. West Africa, particularly Ghana and the Ivory Coast, is the primary producer of the world's cocoa, but these regions are haunted by the adverse effects of climate change.

Cocoa requires specific conditions to grow. It likes warm temperatures between the 70s and 80s and grows best in wetter climates with frequent rain.

According to Climate Central, Ghana and the Ivory Coast have experienced about 40 extra days per year above 90 degrees in the past decade due to climate change.

The excessive heat damages cocoa plants and reduces the time available for farmers to cultivate crops. Warmer temperatures also allow bugs and diseases to thrive longer.

Rising costs may scare companies into raising their prices, or they could try some other tricks. Producers might try to reduce the amount of chocolate used in their candy and alter the amount of candy available in each bag.

But there might be something sweet to look forward to. Chocolate prices may begin to stabilize by Valentine’s Day, as favorable weather conditions have improved in certain regions of West Africa.