Dear MEL Topic Readers
Could we be facing choc-apocalypse?
How much chocolate or Choco-inclusive sweets do you eat? The Swiss eat the most chocolate in the world, as much as eight kilograms per person a year. And other Europeans and Americans love the delicacy, too, maybe because it goes very well with their favorite drink, coffee. Recently though, more people in different food cultures, such as India and China are eating more chocolate than before. Together, these two most populous countries represent over one-third of the global population. The consumption of chocolate in these countries have been rising for health and wealth reasons as their middle class grows and lifestyles become westernized.
If you look at the supply side, Cocoa, the main ingredient of Chocolate is only produced in humid tropical climate and shades of rainforests like West Africa. About half of the entire cocoa production comes from only two countries in the region, Ivory Coast and Ghana. The places where cocoa can be grown is in fact limited. Also, cocoa plants are quite vulnerable to pests and diseases. It doesn’t seem so easy to increase the supply.
As consumption grows, will there be enough chocolate in the future?
Enjoy reading and learn the future prospects of the delicacy.
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