Impending Chocolate Shortage?
Lately, the media has been buzzing about an impeding global chocolate shortage. If you’re like me, the prospect of a life without chocolate simply sounds unpalatable. No more Nutella… yikes! Luckily, the “Global Chocolate Shortage” is said to be mostly media hype with the root point at “Bloomberg“, a news reporting website. We can all be thankful that cocoa plants are a renewable resource. In theory, if we start to run out, we can grow more plants without too much hassle. So then why is there so much publicity?
Although there have been predictions of a shortfall of chocolate, it is more focused on increased cost and demand rather than the extinction of Cocoa. Agriculture of course plays a role, as climate fluctuation and growing conditions may effect crop yields in Africa in years to come. However, the International Chocolate and Cocoa Organization (ICCO) has said that fluctuation in crop production is normal and should be fairly small.
The real problem in the chocolate shortage is drawn back to the distribution point, the consumer. Although many may instinctively say America consumes the most chocolate in the world given our “large” reputation, European Countries take the cake. “The average Brit, Swiss or German will each eat around 11 kilograms (24 pounds) of chocolate a year (CNN).” Due to this large demand for chocolate around the globe, the level of supply is having trouble keeping up. ICCO once again points out that this is not abnormal and has been the case for many years. Rest assured, apart from a slight increase in cost on Valentine’s Day, chocolate will be very much attainable for the foreseeable future.
