{
  "id": 19337802,
  "title": "El Niño threatens to slash Ivory Coast cocoa production by 25%",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/10/el-nino-threatens-to-slash-ivory-coast-cocoa-production-by-25",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-10T13:12:14.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Citizen",
    "slug": "the-citizen",
    "url": "https://www.citizen.co.za/news/news-world/news-africa/el-nino-threatens-to-slash-ivory-coast-cocoa-production-by-25/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "El Niño, a strong weather phenomenon, threatens to slash Ivory Coast's cocoa production by up to 25%, meteorologists have warned. This unusually powerful El Niño warms surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, disrupting global wind and rainfall patterns. Its impact, including extreme temperatures, floods, and droughts, is expected to persist until at least 2027.\n\nIvory Coast, the world's leading cocoa producer, faces significant challenges. The country's public meteorology body, Sodexam, estimates that the climate episode will result in reduced rainfall, higher temperatures, and an extended dry season. These factors could lead to a 21% to 25% decline in cocoa production due to shrivelled pods, premature drop of young pods, and defoliation of trees.\n\nThe lower production could result in a significant loss of income for growers and a decline in the state's export revenues. Ivory Coast accounts for nearly 40% of global cocoa output, and the crop contributes 15% to the country's GDP, supporting roughly five million people. Ivorian scientists are working on developing drought-resistant cocoa bean varieties, but the situation remains critical.",
  "summary": "Ivorian scientists have been working to develop a cocoa bean tough enough to survive the unpredictable weather due to man-made climate change.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}