Coffee, wine and chocolate could soon be off the menu

CHOCOLATE, coffee and wine could soon vanish completely due to global warming, a study has warned.

- BY STEPHEN BEECH

Cacao, coffee and grape crops are increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, experts said.

Rising temperatures and changing patterns of rainfall cause big variations in crop yields from year to year, meaning that farmers cannot rely on the stability of their harvest, with their produce now at risk.

Study coauthor Dr Ariel Morrison said: "Cacao species, while more tolerant of hot temperatures than coffee and grapes, are highly susceptible to pests and diseases caused by a combination of high temperatures, rainfall and humidity.