news article
Commentary: Climate change and crops
October 17, 2025 / By Dr. Andrew Hartley, UNY Creation Justice Team
The following commentary was written by Dr. Andrew Hartley on behalf of the UNY Creation Care Ministry. The views expressed in this article are of the UNY Creation Care Ministry, and not of Bishop Burgos Núñez or any Upper New York staff member.
October is here and what a month! First, International Coffee Day came and went on October 1. October 31 is Halloween. This month is book-ended by two days that feature two of humanity’s favorite treats: the “Cuppa Joe” and candy, the best of which (personal opinion here) HAS to be chocolate.
Coffee and cocoa—the basic ingredient of chocolate—have more in common than their associations with October, though: As crops, they are also both adversely affected by changes in climate. Have you noticed how their prices have skyrocketed in recent years? In January, Arabica coffee prices hit an eye-watering new high on the Intercontinental Exchange at $3.48 a pound. This means the price was up 79% year-over-year.
And as of mid-2025, the price of cocoa is hovering around $10,000/metric ton, marking a staggering 300% increase compared to the start of 2024. What’s raising these prices? It’s not only President Donald Trump’s tariffs; both coffee and cocoa are climate-sensitive crops.
For generations, farmers in Central America’s coffee-growing highlands have relied on nature’s steady rhythms to guide their planting and harvesting. Now, rain that once arrived like clockwork is increasingly erratic. Temperatures are rising. And punishing dry spells are punctuated by torrential downpours, disrupting the delicate timing needed for coffee to flower and bear fruit. Warmer, wetter conditions have also unleashed outbreaks of coffee leaf rust, a fungal disease that wiped out coffee farms across Central America a decade ago, causing more than US$ 3 billion in damages and leaving nearly 2 million coffee workers without a job.
Climate change is threatening cacao production, too. Particularly in West Africa, which produces around 70% of the world's supply. Higher temperatures, erratic rainfall, and prolonged dry seasons—largely driven by climate change—are compounding the impact of disease.
To Western New York residents, dwindling coffee and chocolate supplies might seem frivolous, especially for those who realize that many people over-indulge in those luxuries. Nonetheless, these products are metaphorical “canaries in the coal mine” for many food supply chains in our warming climate. Climate change is putting the global food system at risk, even as farmers try to adapt. Every 1.8-degree Fahrenheit increase in global mean temperature is expected to reduce the world's ability to produce food by 120 calories a person per day (more than 4% of daily needs).
You can help make a difference by doing the following:
- Buy local and seasonal foods to support nearby farms and reduce transport emissions.
- Plan meals to buy only what you’ll use and reduce food waste.
- Store food properly to make it last longer.
- Compost food scraps instead of sending them to the landfill.
- Donate surplus food to food banks or community programs.
- Grow your own garden—even a few herbs or vegetables help.
- Learn how climate change affects your local food systems.
- Advocate for climate-smart agriculture policies.
- Reduce your carbon footprint—drive less, save energy, and recycle.
Share these steps with others to build awareness in your community. For more information and additional ideas, click here for helpful resources from the US Environmental Protection Agency.