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Manufacturers warn that the world may soon run out of chocolate


               
2014 Nov 17, 12:57am   1,339 views  7 comments

by zzyzzx   follow (9)  

http://theweek.com/speedreads/index/272087/speedreads-manufacturers-warn-that-the-world-may-soon-run-out-of-chocolate

Start hoarding those Hershey's Kisses and stockpile your Snickers: The world could soon experience a chocolate shortage.

Mars Inc. and Barry Callebaut, two of the world's largest chocolate makers, say that's the path we're headed down. They cite a perfect storm of factors: Less cocoa is being produced as more and more people are devouring chocolate.

In 2013, consumers ate about 70,000 metric tons more cocoa than was produced, The Washington Post reports, and that deficit could go up to 1 million metric tons by 2020. The Ivory Coast and Ghana produce more than 70 percent of the world's cacao beans, and both countries are experiencing dry weather that limits growth. To make things worse, a fungal disease called frosty pod has destroyed 30 to 40 percent of global cocoa production.

The world's appetite for chocolate isn't going away, and some countries, like China, are starting to consume more and more of the sweet treat. Dark chocolate is also rising in popularity, and that takes much more cocoa to create. Although researchers are trying to create trees that can produce more cacao beans than traditional trees, there's one catch: Chocolate made through this process loses its delicious taste. The only solution is to buy in bulk now and hide your stash where no one can find it.

Comments 1 - 7 of 7        Search these comments

1   Blurtman   2014 Nov 17, 12:58am  

War is coming!

2   casandra   2014 Nov 17, 1:01am  

maybe i can finally make some extra cash selling the tons of carob that falls from my trees all year !

always wondered how i could sell the crap !!

3   zzyzzx   2014 Nov 17, 1:03am  

Seems to me that there might be some investment opportunities in chocolate futures, or possibly irrigation in Ivory Coast and Ghana. Or we can start growing it in Puerto Rico and Hawaii.

4   Tenpoundbass   2014 Nov 17, 1:13am  

The only solution is to buy in bulk now and hide your stash where no one can find it.

avoid the rush.

5   Heraclitusstudent   2014 Nov 17, 1:24am  

zzyzzx says

The only solution is to buy in bulk now and hide your stash where no one can find it.

And eat it before it goes bad.

6   Ceffer   2014 Nov 17, 2:52am  

Just cut the cocoa with coca and nobody will care about the difference.

7   MisdemeanorRebel   2014 Nov 17, 3:39am  

Just checked the Cocoa spot. Looks like the current price is way down from the average over the past year, and sharply down from it's peak in September - probably a surge for Halloween/Christmas candy.

They're talking their book, must have made some big bets that aren't materializing.

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