Climate change blamed for dearer Easter eggs

Those who thought Easter eggs were more expensive this year should blame climate change.

Midlands green energy expert Ron Fox said there have been record-breaking temperatures and more unusual rainfall in West Africa, especially in the Ivory Coast and Ghana, which together produce about 70 per cent of the world’s cocoa supply.

Ron, of Noreus Ltd on the University of Keele Science Innovation Park, said these heatwaves above 40 °C, made ten times more likely by climate change, have led to poor harvests and the spread of black pod disease, a fungal infection that rots cocoa beans. On top of that, farms have lost up to 63 per cent of their insects, forcing some farmers to pollinate cocoa flowers by hand.

This in turn has led to wholesale cocoa prices reaching record highs of more than £6,700 a tonne early this year.

The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), a think tank, found that the price of cocoa had risen by a third since 2022, while at the same time, cocoa imports had fallen by 10 per cent.

Analysis by the consumer group Which? said this has led to major Easter egg manufacturers both putting up their prices while at the same time shrinking the size of their eggs by up to 18 per cent compared to last year.

In the UK, chocolate inflation hit 17 per cent last year, significantly outstripping general food inflation.

Researchers at Wageningen University in the Netherlands say that the cocoa-growing area in West Africa could eventually be reduced by half due to climate change.

But the future holds some hope for chocolate lovers. Scientists at Penn State University in the USA have used gene editing to create cocoa trees that grow better in higher temperatures.

Also, Nukoko, which is based in Guildford, Surrey, is making chocolate from fava or faba beans grown in the UK. These are large, flat green vegetables with a buttery, slightly nutty flavour, often harvested from thick pods in early spring. They are highly nutritious, providing 13 g of protein per cup, and are commonly used in soups, stews, salads, or mashed into dips.

This article raises some interesting questions, said Ron. Did you know climate change is driving up the cost of Easter eggs? Did you cut back on the number of chocolate eggs you bought this year? Would you buy Easter eggs made out of fava beans? Send your views to Ron Fox at [email protected]

Ron added: “If you want any green energy advice, call me on 0845 474 6641 or contact us here.  In the meantime, continue to have a happy Easter.”

Caption: Shell shocked! The price of Easter eggs is soaring because of climate change. Picture: John Butterworth