Chocolate’s future could hinge on success of growing cocoa not just in the tropics, but in the lab

From California to Israel, companies are aiming to grow cocoa beyond the tropics in a bid to buffer chocolate’s key ingredient from climate change. In addition, those concerned with the impact of rising temperatures on the future of cocoa are crafting chocolate-tasting alternatives using other, more readily available ingredients. The efforts come as the global demand for chocolate rises along with pressures on cocoa-growing farmers in West Africa and Latin America. Climate change is expected to impact cocoa crops around the equator as soils grow drier. The highly sensitive plant already is susceptible to devastating diseases.