A new report warns that six of Europe's staple food imports—cocoa, coffee, wheat, maize, rice, and soy—face rising threats from climate change and biodiversity loss, putting the continent's food security and economy at risk.
As climate change accelerates and biodiversity continues to decline, Europe’s food supply chains are under growing pressure. A report commissioned by the European Climate Foundation and conducted by UK consultancy Foresight Transitions reveals that more than half of the EU’s imports of six key food commodities come from countries highly vulnerable to climate impacts and with limited capacity to adapt.
The most affected are cocoa, maize, and wheat. For these three, two-thirds of imports come from regions where biodiversity is no longer intact. “These aren’t just abstract threats,” said lead author Camilla Hyslop. “They’re already playing out through rising prices, supply disruptions, and job losses.”
Chocolate under the greatest threat
The EU’s chocolate industry, valued at around €44 billion, is particularly exposed. Around 97% of its cocoa is imported from countries with low resilience to climate shocks, such as Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Nigeria—nations also grappling with serious biodiversity degradation.
Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and deforestation in West Africa have pushed cocoa prices higher, contributing to a 41% increase in EU cocoa import costs over the past year. Combined with the rising price of sugar, chocolate producers are facing what experts call an “environmental double whammy.”
The result: chocolate prices have soared 43% in just three years, according to the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU).
Climate + biodiversity = a dangerous feedback loop
What makes the crisis more acute is the interplay between climate and biodiversity. “Declining biodiversity undermines the resilience of farms and ecosystems,” Hyslop explained, “making them more vulnerable to pests, disease, and weather extremes.”
Deforestation and monocropping—common practices in commodity farming—worsen the situation by degrading soil and altering microclimates, ultimately diminishing crop yields.
EU climate risks make imports indispensable
While some argue the EU should reshore food production, the report’s co-author, Dr. Mark Workman, calls this insufficient. “Europe can’t grow cocoa or coffee in meaningful quantities. And it faces its own climate and biodiversity threats,” he said.
Indeed, 2024 alone saw floods in the UK and France reducing wheat output and heatwaves hitting maize crops in Eastern Europe—events that highlight the EU’s continued dependence on global supply chains.
A call for international climate investment
The report stresses that climate finance is not charity—it’s in the EU’s own interest. “We must invest in the resilience of our trading partners and infrastructure,” Workman emphasized. “Ports, supply chains, and the farmers themselves are all under pressure.”
Among the report’s recommendations are targeted support for smallholder farmers, especially in the cocoa sector, and stronger climate mitigation policies to protect supply chains and ecosystems alike.
As aid budgets are increasingly weighed against defense spending, the report offers a clear message: climate security and food security are inseparable—and both are essential to Europe's future.
A renewed wave of U.S. diplomatic activity in the South Caucasus highlights Washington’s growing focus on regional connectivity, trade and security,...
Kyrgyzstan has signed a series of cooperation agreements with China and Belarus at the Fifth Forum of Regional Leaders of Shanghai Cooperation Organis...
A group of Azerbaijani civil society organisations has called for increased scrutiny of Swiss building materials giant Holcim, citing court rulings an...
The Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is "outpacing containment efforts" amid conflict, weak disease surveillance and limited...
Kazakhstan has reiterated that no existing route can replace the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), which carries more than 80% of the country's crude...
A renewed wave of U.S. diplomatic activity in the South Caucasus highlights Washington’s growing focus on regional connectivity, trade and security, according to Associate Professor George Mchedlishvili of European University in Tbilisi.
Kyrgyzstan has signed a series of cooperation agreements with China and Belarus at the Fifth Forum of Regional Leaders of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states, underlining the country's growing economic engagement within the regional bloc.
A group of Azerbaijani civil society organisations has called for increased scrutiny of Swiss building materials giant Holcim, citing court rulings and ongoing investigations linked to its subsidiary Lafarge's activities during the Syrian conflict.
The Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is "outpacing containment efforts" amid conflict, weak disease surveillance and limited access to healthcare, according to London-based pharmacist and health commentator Thorrun Govind.
The U.S. and Iran have reportedly reached a preliminary 60-day ceasefire and nuclear talks deal, pending Donald Trump’s approval, Axios reports. Meanwhile, the GCC condemned Iran’s missile strike on a U.S. airbase in Kuwait, which Tehran said was retaliation for a U.S. strike near Bandar Abbas.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says ongoing conflict, funding pressures and international travel restrictions are complicating efforts to contain a fast-growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Bolivia’s President Rodrigo Paz has taken steps towards potentially declaring a state of emergency as anti-government protests intensify in the early months of his administration.
A group of Azerbaijani civil society organisations has called for increased scrutiny of Swiss building materials giant Holcim, citing court rulings and ongoing investigations linked to its subsidiary Lafarge's activities during the Syrian conflict.
Russia and Kazakhstan signed 15 agreements during President Vladimir Putin’s state visit to Astana on Thursday (28 May), including deals on Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant and expanded oil cooperation with Russia.
As climate pressures and urbanisation accelerate worldwide, governments are increasingly investing in smart cities and villages to build more sustainable and resilient communities. Across the world, digital technologies are reshaping how cities and rural areas are planned and managed.
The UK is experiencing potentially record-breaking temperatures after forecasters confirmed some areas reached highs close to 34°C on Monday.
More than 100 people were killed in a violent storm that battered India's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, with rain and hail, the state Disaster Management and Relief office said on Thursday.
Climate change has driven a record surge in wildfires across Africa, Asia and other regions this year, with scientists warning that conditions are likely to worsen further as the northern hemisphere enters summer and El Niño weather patterns intensify.
Destruction of the world's tropical forests eased in 2025 from a record high, a report showed on Wednesday, underscoring how decisive policy can help keep trees standing despite pressures from a warmer climate and expanding agricultural frontiers.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment