Staff Writer
Two
of the world’s largest chocolate makers, Mars Inc. and Barry Callebaut, have
warned the public to cut down on chocolate consumption or the world will face a
severe chocolate shortage.
Many
companies have noticed an increase in demand for chocolate over the past years.
The world consumed more than 70,000 metric tons more than it produced in 2013.
Specifically China and India have had a huge increase in chocolate consumption
over the last few years. Also, the price of cocoa jumped 20 percent last year
and nearly 10 percent this year. This is a great example of supply and demand; currently
the supply is low and the demand has skyrocketed. The surging prices and low
yields may result in chocolate becoming a luxury item.
More
than 70 percent of the world’s chocolate is produced in West Africa
specifically in the Ivory Coast and Ghana. Extreme weather varying from severe
droughts to intense rainy periods have led to a decrease of cocoa beans
production.
Cocoa
plants have also been affected by a range of pests and diseases, some putting
losses as high as 40 percent of the overall global production. Witch’s broom,
the most common disease among cocoa plants, is caused by a fungus that attacks
cocoa trees resulting in a lack of cocoa beans. Many of these diseases and
pests are becoming resistant to pesticides. As a result further damage to cocoa
crops occurs.
Many
global agricultural research groups are developing new stronger pesticides and
genetically modified cocoa plants. For
example, in Central Africa many groups are developing cocoa trees that can
produce up to seven times the number of cocoa beans a traditional cocoa plant
can produce. However, there is always a drawback to many brilliant ideas. The
result of the high yields of cocoa may result in a poorer taste of the crop. The
chocolate of the future will most likely contain more sugar and vegetable oil and
lesser quantities of the more expensive cocoa.
To
save the chocolate supply, consumers of chocolate must be prepared to pay more.
Chocolate lovers must also conserve and ration chocolate and realize that it is
a treat and not a food group. There are many alternatives for chocolate
including vanilla or carob the chocolate substitute. Though the shortage of
chocolate is a serious problem, it is up to us consumers to survive the “achocolypse”
and save the chocolate of the world.
