The world’s biggest chocolate-maker says we’re running out of chocolate

The Washington Post ^ | November 15, 2014 | Roberto A. Ferdman

[El Cid]

China's growing love for the stuff is of particular concern. The Chinese are buying more and more chocolate each year.

Damn Chinese... Tell them to stop bogarting my chocolate.

[mware]

I just happen to have gone to the Kinder Chocolate site and purchased 2 boxes of Happy Hippo bars.

They are the best chocolates I have ever eaten. I was planning to give them out at Christmas but perhaps I will save one box for later just in case.

[Scoutmaster]

Time for Obama to appoint a ‘Cocoa Czar’

No. Just no.

'Cocoa Czar' has too much panache to waste it on another of Valerie Jarrett's sycophants. I'm appropriating it as the name of a literary character. Your royalty check is in the mail.

[stephenjohnbanker]

Black market Kit Kat coming soon!

[PeteePie]

Brilliant!

[stephenjohnbanker]

” CHOCOLATE SHORTAGE IS DUE TO GLOBAL WARMING....”

Global Warming........is there NOTHING it can’t cause ?

[moose07]

The “Carrot on a stick” will be back!

[stephenjohnbanker]

Yes.

[SuperSonic]

Obama is going to have to increase our chocolate rations from 30g per person per month to 20g.

Doubleplusungood!

[WILLIALAL]

” Last year, the world ate roughly 70,000 metric tons more cocoa than it produced. “

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To hell with the economics of the situation, someone explain the physics.

[morphing libertarian]

Mooshelle propaganda

[JeepRubicon]

Didn’t Einstein say the “The world will end 18 months after we run out of Chocolate” ?

[JeepRubicon]

More people will begin to farm chocolate

Oh, I'd never eat farm raised chocolate, I much prefer wild caught ... The farm raised is fed corn and it's basically the bad kind of fat.

[morphing libertarian]

Cruz supports. Rove opposes.

[wagglebee]

If only we had a means of encouraging people to produce more of a scarce item and discouraging people from consuming it. Wait, there might be...I think it’s called “price.”

Exactly.

Unless I'm overlooking something, nobody actually NEEDS chocolate, but a lot of people WANT chocolate.

The candy companies should just raise the price until the market evens out. I don't know why they're complaining, this seems like a golden opportunity for them to make more money for their shareholders.

[Robwin]

I note some of you are treating this extremely serious matter with levity. Have you no stomach?

[wagglebee]

I love chocolate, but I don't eat enough of it that the price is that big a concern.

If the price of chocolate doubled or tripled, it really wouldn't have any effect on whether or not I eat it. If it went up 1000%, I would certainly think twice before buying it. However, my guess is that an increase of between 50 and 100% would take care of the problem, some people would definitely have to cut back, but they would still be able to afford it if they really needed a chocolate fix.

[Roman_War_Criminal]

Actually your photo comparison is quite telling....how far we’ve fallen????

[Verginius Rufus]

In 1820 the US population was 13 million. In 1920 it was 106 million, an 8-fold increase. Therefore the 2020 census will show a US population of 848 million.

[Verginius Rufus]

If history is any guide, a lack of chocolate can have devastating results.

Assyrian Empire. No chocolate. Conquered.
Babylonian Empire. No chocolate. Conquered.
Carthaginian Empire. No chocolate. Conquered.
Roman Empire. No chocolate. Fell.
Mongol Empire. No chocolate. Disintegrated.

Without chocolate, we are doomed.