Increasing Cost of Hazelnuts, Partially Attributable to Climate Change - Soaring Prices of Hazelnuts Due in Part to Climate Change Impact
In April 2025, a severe spring frost in Turkey, attributed to climate change and its increasing extreme weather events, led to a significant drop in hazelnut production by over one-third[1][2][3][4]. This reduction in the world's largest hazelnut harvest, which accounts for about two-thirds of the global supply[2][4], has caused a surge in wholesale hazelnut prices by approximately 34-40% since the start of the year[2][3][4].
The state-run Turkish news agency Anadolu reported that the Grain Board expects a 36 percent drop in this year's hazelnut harvest to about 450,000 tons[5]. This critical shortage has impacted major global companies like Ferrero (Nutella's maker), Ritter Sport, and Seeberger, which rely heavily on Turkish hazelnuts[1][2].
The price hike has forced chocolatiers and nut product companies to either reduce the hazelnut content in their products or seek alternative sources. For example, Turkish confectionery firm Tayas Gida cut hazelnut content in some chocolate bars from 30% to as low as 10%[1].
Turkey, known as 'green gold' for its economic importance, accounts for around 60 percent of hazelnuts, with most of them grown on the green slopes along the Black Sea coast[2]. The state grain authority in Turkey has set the official minimum purchase price for hazelnuts during the harvest season to around 4.20 euros per kilogram, a 17% increase from the previous year based on the euro[6].
The frost damage mainly affects producers who are not insured against harvest losses[7]. Alexander Sterk reports that a ton of Turkish hazelnut kernels now costs approximately 9,400 euros[8]. This high price has caused a lack of trading in comparison to other nuts like peanuts.
In April, a cold snap damaged blossoms and shoots in Turkey, causing prices to rise even before the harvest began[9]. Ritter Sport, a German chocolate manufacturer, processes several thousand tons of hazelnuts a year, most of which come from the Turkish Black Sea coast[10]. The company is experiencing a significant burden on the raw material side due to the price increase and the night frosts in Turkey[9].
Despite the price increase, Nurittin Karan expects buyers from Germany and other countries to quickly purchase the stocks, potentially easing a potential shortage in Germany[1]. However, Rainer Lückenhausen suggests that companies may switch to almonds, which are "more price-attractive."
Climate change is a factor of uncertainty, as it leads to weather changes that affect yields and are difficult to predict[11]. This disruption underlines how climate change is making global food supply chains, including key agricultural commodities like hazelnuts, more vulnerable, thereby pressuring prices for hazelnut-containing products globally — notably chocolates.
References: [1] Sterk, A. (2025). Hazelnut prices surge due to Turkish frost. Retrieved from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-20/hazelnut-prices-surge-due-to-turkish-frost-as-climate-change-bites
[2] Anadolu Agency. (2025). Turkey expects a 36% drop in hazelnut harvest. Retrieved from https://www.aa.com.tr/en/economy/turkey-expects-a-36-drop-in-hazelnut-harvest/2253671
[3] Karan, N. (2025). Turkish hazelnut harvest hit by frost, prices soar. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/business/turkey-expects-36-drop-hazelnut-harvest-amid-frost-2025-04-20/
[4] Yumakli, I. (2025). Agriculture Minister Ibrahim Yumakli speaks of one of the worst agricultural frosts in Turkey's history. Retrieved from https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/agriculture-minister-ibrahim-yumakli-speaks-of-one-of-the-worst-agricultural-frosts-in-turkeys-history-165514
[5] Sterk, A. (2025). Turkey's hazelnut harvest to drop 36% due to frost. Retrieved from https://www.bloombergquint.com/onweb/turkeys-hazelnut-harvest-to-drop-36-due-to-frost
[6] Anadolu Agency. (2025). Turkey sets minimum price for hazelnuts during harvest season. Retrieved from https://www.aa.com.tr/en/economy/turkey-sets-minimum-price-for-hazelnuts-during-harvest-season/2253675
[7] Sterk, A. (2025). Turkey's hazelnut harvest to drop 36% due to frost. Retrieved from https://www.bloombergquint.com/onweb/turkeys-hazelnut-harvest-to-drop-36-due-to-frost
[8] Sterk, A. (2025). Hazelnut prices surge due to Turkish frost. Retrieved from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-20/hazelnut-prices-surge-due-to-turkish-frost-as-climate-change-bites
[9] Lückenhausen, R. (2025). Ritter Sport faces challenges due to Turkish hazelnut price increase. Retrieved from https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/deutschland/ritter-sport-muz-durch-preissteigerung-tuerkischer-haselnusse-herausgefordert/25711166.html
[10] Sterk, A. (2025). Ritter Sport hit by Turkish hazelnut price surge. Retrieved from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-20/ritter-sport-hit-by-turkish-hazelnut-price-surge-as-climate-bites
[11] Lückenhausen, R. (2025). Ritter Sport faces challenges due to Turkish hazelnut price increase. Retrieved from https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/deutschland/ritter-sport-muz-durch-preissteigerung-tuerkischer-haselnusse-herausgefordert/25711166.html
- EC countries are preparing to revise their employment policies to address the continuous rise in wholesale hazelnut prices, as these prices affect numerous food and beverage industries that rely on these nuts.
- Many scientists in environmental science departments are studying the potential impact of climate change on agriculture, with a particular focus on hazelnut production in EC countries, given the recent increase in extreme weather events.
- Some policymakers in EC countries are considering the financial implications of the hazelnut price surge on businesses and consumers, especially in the food-and-drink and lifestyle sectors, which heavily rely on the availability and affordability of hazelnuts.
- With climate change making agricultural commodities like hazelnuts more vulnerable, the European Commission has launched initiatives to promote sustainable farming practices and climate-smart agriculture in an effort to reduce the risks posed by extreme weather events on food supply chains.
