Climate change and biodiversity loss are crippling agricultural production in Africa, a key exporter of staples such as cocoa, coffee, and maize, putting Europe’s food supply at risk.
According to a report by UK-based Foresight Transitions, over half of EU food imports, including cocoa and coffee, come from countries that lack the resources to adapt to climate change. Many of the crops involved cannot be grown easily in the EU, and the continent is already facing its own climate and biodiversity pressures.
The EU is the world’s biggest consumer, producer, and exporter of chocolate, but most of its cocoa imports come from five countries: Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon and Nigeria in West Africa, and Ecuador in South America. Experts said that investing in African producers is not just a development issue, but critical to Europe’s food and security interests.