Climate Change Increases Price of Easter Eggs

​Climate change increases price of Easter eggs

​This year's Easter eggs will be much more expensive than last year's. The reason is climate change. Extreme weather patterns have made growing cocoa more challenging. Cocoa beans are used to make chocolate. Around 70 per cent of the world's cocoa beans are grown in West Africa. Recent heatwaves, droughts and heavy rain in Ghana and the Ivory Coast have greatly reduced the amount of cocoa beans grown. Temperatures have been four degrees higher than normal. The Reuters news agency said cocoa prices have more than doubled compared to this time last year. Amber Sawyer, an energy and climate analyst, said farmers in West Africa were, "struggling in the face of both extreme heat and rainfall".

​Chocolate eggs are given as gifts for the Christian holiday of Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. Traditionally, people dyed and painted chicken eggs. Wikipedia says chocolate eggs first appeared at the court of Louis XIV in France in 1725. In 1873, the English chocolate company J.S. Fry produced the first hollow chocolate egg, similar to the ones people give today. Wikipedia says: "In Western cultures, the giving of chocolate eggs is now commonplace, with 80 million Easter eggs sold in the UK alone." However, climate change is making it more difficult to grow the cocoa beans. Climate analysts say we need to do more to reduce fossil fuel emissions if we want a steady supply of cocoa and chocolate.

Multiple Choice

This year's Easter eggs will be 10 times more expensive than last year's.

• True

• False

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Around 70% of the world's cocoa is grown in Ghana

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

West Africa has been hit by heatwaves and heavy rain.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

A news agency said cocoa prices have doubled since last year.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

People traditionally painted goose and duck eggs for Easter.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

The first chocolate eggs were made in France in the 18th century

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Around 80 million Easter eggs are sold in the United Kingdom.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

The article says we need to cut fossil fuel emissions to have chocolate

• True

• False