There's no easy way to say this:
You're eating too much chocolate, all of you.
And it's getting so out of hand that the world could be headed towards a potentially disastrous
(if you love chocolate) scenario if it doesn't stop.
Chocolate deficits, whereby farmers produce less cocoa than the world eats, are becoming the norm.
Already, we are in the midst of what could be the longest streak of consecutive chocolate deficits in more than 50 years!
The problem is, for one, a supply issue.
Dry weather in West Africa (specifically in the Ivory Coast and Ghana, where more than 70 percent of the world's cocoa is produced)
has greatly decreased production in the region.
A nasty fungal disease known as frosty pod hasn't helped either.
The International Cocoa Organization estimates it has wiped out between 30 percent and 40 percent of global coca production.
Because of all this, cocoa farming has proven a particularly tough business,
and many farmers have shifted to more profitable crops, like corn (or cocaine), as a result.
Then there's the world's insatiable appetite for chocolate.
China in particular is growing more chocolate hungry every year.
Then, there is the rising popularity of Dark Chocolate
which contains a good deal more cocoa by volume than traditional chocolate bars
(the average chocolate bar contains about 10 percent, while dark chocolate often contains upwards of 70 percent)
“In 20 years, chocolate will be like caviar,” says one conservation researcher.
“The average Joe just won’t be able to afford it at $11 a bar.”
Oh dear. That's bad news. Who would have imagined a shortage of chocolate. I suppose the Ebola outbreak in Western Africa isn't helping matters either. I may need to stock up on Hershey bars.
ReplyDeleteI don't crave chocolate like many do, but I do like dark chocolate at times, in small amounts. That said, I could survive without it. Our eco systems seem so fragile at times.
ReplyDeletePerhaps they will invent a substitute.
Somehow "frosty pod" doesn't sound threatening; it almost sounds like a friendly animation character.
ReplyDeleteI feel sorry for the farmers affected, but me--I only like dark chocolate and then not that much. My personal weakness is cheese. Lots and lots of different kinds of cheese!
Hi Roland ... chocolate going the same way as oysters ... overfished/over eaten ... and then there was 'none' - very little ...
ReplyDeleteI've been reading about this for a while ... and get anxious when the balance gets upset ...
The Chinese may be improving their society ... but in the process they're upsetting the balance elsewhere ...
It seems they've been bribing the Portuguese Immigration Department to get permanent entry - once there of course they can move all over Europe ...
The world is changing and how do we counter that imbalance that's everywhere ... like the huge pier/dock stretching out into the Atlantic Ocean in Brazil ... to ship out all the ore and wood to China ..
Life is complicated ... to put it mildly .. Interesting to read - I don't eat that much chocolate fortunately ... Hilary
It's me! I confess that I'm the reason chocolate is in demand. I have no intention of quitting. :)
ReplyDeleteAs someone who believes a balanced diet is chocolate in both hands, this is scary news indeed.
ReplyDeleteVR Barkowski
Good thing I'm not a chocolate hound then. Leaves more for those who need it.
ReplyDeleteThe good news: I'm not a stated reason for this impending doom. Phew. I'd have to hire a team of body guards. Plus maybe it will help the world more closely examine all the abuses happening in West Africa, where kids are enslaved on cocoa plantations...? I don't know. I'm trying to think of a positive here. I cannot otherwise process any of this news.
ReplyDeleteGood to see you, though, Roland.
Keep sweet thoughts. xo