There are few things in the world better than a bar of milky chocolate. The delightful taste of chocolate in your mouth just seems to have a way of melting away your troubles. Be it dark, peanut butter cups, or loaded with nougat, caramel, and peanuts, most – if not all – can agree on one thing; our love of chocolate.
Unfortunately, I have some bad news for you, my dear consumers of chocolate. The world, as we know it, is running out of chocolate!
As it turns out, love for chocolate is infectious. A large portion of the world is just now being introduced into the delicacy that is chocolate – I know; crazy! Over the past ten years, the consumption of chocolate in Asian countries has doubled, as chocolate begins to replace more traditional desserts in China, and India.
The increased consumption isn’t the only factor in this major epidemic. Producing 70% of the world’s cocoa, Africa’s Ivory Coast, and the country of Ghana, are facing a number of issues growing their cocoa. Ageing trees with limited outputs, fungal diseases, pest attacks, and unfavourable weather conditions are the major factors affecting current cocoa production. In addition, lowered profits for cocoa crops are causing a switch to more profitable crops such as corn, and rubber.
Another factor for the loss of chocolate is the West’s continuous need for more variety in their chocolate. More, and more, chocolate is being added to cereals, cookies, and, oddly enough, potato chips. On top of this, the region’s health craze demands more dark chocolate, which requires, even more, cocoa beans to produce.
Luckily, all hope is not lost. Developmental projects exist dedicated to creating more resistant cocoa crops, with the possibility of growing faster. Unfortunately, these modified crops could result in the quality of chocolate decreasing. Quantity over quality. You should be prepared to shell out more cash for all things chocolate in the future, as well as settle for less variety.
Related: Chocolate may be good for your teeth