KQED's Forum CA Chocolatiers Adapt to Climate Change
Feb 6, 2026
John Kehoe, sustainability director at Guittard, on testing, heavy-metal concerns and supply strategies. Greg D'Alesandre, Dandelion co-founder and cacao sourcer, on bean-to-bar production, new growing regions and biochar waste solutions. Minni Foreman, Belize cacao farmer and Peet's sustainability manager, on fermentation, on-the-ground growing practices and farmer climate adaptation. They discuss shifting regions, processing, and sustainability challenges.
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Liquid Nitrogen Truffles In College
- Greg D'Alesandre recounts making alcohol-spiked truffles in college and using liquid nitrogen from his lab to chill them.
- That experiment became his memorable first truffle-making experience and influenced his chocolate journey.
Cacao's Fragile Biology Amplifies Climate Risk
- Cacao is genetically narrow and relies on tiny midges to pollinate delicate flowers, making it extremely climate-sensitive.
- Small shifts in humidity or rainfall can reduce pollinators or increase fungal disease and collapse yields.
Geography Of Cacao Is Shifting
- Climate change is shifting where cacao can grow: new regions like Saudi Arabia, China, India and Thailand are experimenting with cacao.
- But new producers often lack infrastructure and may instead make chocolate locally, changing value chains.