The Dubai chocolate craze is sparking a pistachio shortage, while the West's obsession with matcha has put a Japanese town under strain.

Dubai chocolate has gone viral online for its pistachio cream centre, and retails for around €16 per individual bar.

Climate policy researcher Sadhbh O'Neill told Newstalk Breakfast that certain food productions have been causing environmental issues for some time.

"It's not new really, I mean, chocolate production, cocoa production, has already been causing a big impact on the environment," she said.

"Deforestation in west Africa is closely tied to cocoa production.

"I don't think most people realise that most cocoa is produced in west Africa, like the vast majority, three quarters of it."

Ms O'Neill said that 38% of total cocoa production annually comes from Côte d'Ivoire.

You can listen back to the full interview here:

Main image: Dubai chocolate. Image: Jean-Bernard Nadeau / Alamy.