Why the matcha and Dubai chocolate hype hurt our planet

Deutsche Welle (DW)CenterEN 6 min read 100% complete by Jeannette CwienkOctober 25, 2025 at 04:26 PM

AI Summary

long article 6 min

The popularity of Dubai chocolate, a luxury confection invented by Sarah Hamouda and marketed globally through social media influencers, has surged since late 2023. This trend has significantly increased global demand for pistachios, with EU imports rising over a third in 2024 to exceed €1 billion for the first time. However, this surge is causing environmental issues as pistachio cultivation requires substantial irrigation and often occurs in monocultures, leading to water scarcity and heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides. Additionally, pistachio trees need cold winters to flower, which can be disrupted by climate change.

Key Topics & Entities

Germany 40% Spain ×250% EU 60% Sarah Hamouda ×270% Dubai ×480%

Keywords

pistachio cultivation 90% dubai chocolate 80% climate change 70% water usage 60% environmental impact 60% global demand 50% monocultures 50% pesticides 40% artificial fertilizers 40% high-priced market 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.40

Source Transparency

Source

Deutsche Welle (DW)

Political Lean

Center (-0.10)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Dubai

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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pistachio cultivation dubai chocolate climate change water usage environmental impact global demand monocultures pesticides artificial fertilizers high-priced market

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