Posted on 11/17/2014 10:38:15 AM PST by Bettyprob
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 scenario if it doesn't stop.
Those are, roughly speaking, the words of two huge chocolate makers, Mars, Inc. and Barry Callebaut. And there's some data to back them up.
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. It also looks like deficits aren't just carrying over from year-to-year—the industry expects them to grow. Last year, the world ate roughly 70,000 metric tons more cocoa than it produced. By 2020, the two chocolate-makers warn that that number could swell to 1 million metric tons, a more than 14-fold increase; by 2030, they think the deficit could reach 2 million metric tons.
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, as a result.
Then there's the world's insatiable appetite for chocolate. China's growing love for the stuff is of particular concern. The Chinese are buying more and more chocolate each year. Still, they only consume per capita about 5 percent of what the average Western European eats.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Damn Chinese... Tell them to stop bogarting my chocolate.
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.
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.
Black market Kit Kat coming soon!
Brilliant!
” CHOCOLATE SHORTAGE IS DUE TO GLOBAL WARMING....”
Global Warming........is there NOTHING it can’t cause ?
The “Carrot on a stick” will be back!
Yes.
Doubleplusungood!
” Last year, the world ate roughly 70,000 metric tons more cocoa than it produced. “
????????????????????????????????????????????????????
To hell with the economics of the situation, someone explain the physics.
Mooshelle propaganda
Didn’t Einstein say the “The world will end 18 months after we run out of Chocolate” ?
Cruz supports. Rove opposes.
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.
I note some of you are treating this extremely serious matter with levity. Have you no stomach?
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.
Actually your photo comparison is quite telling....how far we’ve fallen????
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.
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.
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