The World Is Running Out Of Chocolate

This May Be the Worst News You Hear Ever

By Wendy Gittleson

Beginning today, we’re all on a diet. It’s not about calories or carbs or anything like that. 

Beginning today, we all have to limit our consumption of chocolate or we are going to run out – and I’m not talking about what’s left of our Halloween candy. The world is running out of chocolate.

Mars, Inc. and Barry Callebaut chocolate are both warning the world that we’re simply eating too much to keep up with supply. Farmers can’t grow chocolate as fast as we’re eating it.

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.

Source: Washington Post

There are a few major factors, it seems. Climate change is causing the chocolate growing West African nations to be too hot and dry. There has also been a fungal disease that is ravaging cocoa trees. In fact, the International Cocoa Organization puts the casualties at 30 percent to 40 percent of production.

Then, there’s the fact that we’re simply eating too much chocolate. Dark chocolate, which has the highest concentration of cocoa, is often touted as a health food on a number of fronts, including its antioxidant content, its heart benefits and its feel good effects.

Most experts advise about an ounce of dark chocolate a day, and that is quite a bit more than we are consuming. Americans consume only about a 1/2 ounce per person per day. We aren’t even in the top 10 as far as per capita chocolate consumption, though. Switzerland has about double our consumption, followed by most of Western Europe, Canada and Australia. The U.S. is only 15th in per capita consumption.

That doesn’t mean it’s time to hoard chocolate though (of course, you have know way of knowing that I’m not saying that to keep more for myself). Scientists are working on a cure, so to speak. Unfortunately, that cure could involve GMOs and less tasty chocolate.

Wendy is one of the luckiest people on the planet. She actually gets to make a living out of two of her greatest passions, writing and politics. When she's not writing, she's hiking with her dogs, riding her bike or cooking a great meal with her friends or loved one. Follow Wendy on Facebook, Twitter or Google Plus.