We're running out of chocolate!

Professey Chin

Savor that leftover Halloween candy, because in the future, you won’t be able to afford it. Chocolate consumption is increasing faster than cocoa production, according to the Cocoa Research Association, and that means prohibitively expensive chocolate is in our future.
Since even before Choc Finger started hoarding it, cocoa prices have been on the rise, doubling in the past six years. The cacao plant can only be grown in latitudes within 10 degrees of the equator, but cacao farmers (largely in developing nations) lack incentives to re-plant their trees as they die off, according to a report in the Independent.
Competing efforts at chocolate giants Hershey and Mars Inc. have sequenced the cacao genome, which could improve efforts to breed more resilient, higher-yielding trees. But better chocolate plants will still have to compete for acreage with engineered corn, soybeans and even palm oil, which are used for biofuel as well as food. Those plants could help farmers reap greater rewards, according to Tony Lass, chairman of the Cocoa Research Association and a former Cadbury’s trader.
Small-scale growers earn just 80 cents a day, so they have little incentive to plant new trees when their older ones die. In addition to planting more lucrative crops like rubber, hordes of cacao growers are moving into cities to seek higher-paying work, according to the Independent.
The result will be $11 chocolate bars. John Mason, executive director and founder of the Ghana-based Nature Conservation Research Council, says in 20 years, chocolate will be like caviar: “It will become so rare and so expensive that the average Joe just won't be able to afford it.”
The chocolate market is already trending toward higher prices; all the growth in the $5.8 billion industry is in premium chocolates, the Independent says.
First helium, now chocolate — seems like birthday parties in the future will be a lot less fun.

Link

Now to wait for widespread panic in a few years

KeithM89_old

Those damn oompa loompas going on strike again...:)

Pookah

If there's not enough chocolate here on Earth, we may have to go on a mission to Mars.

sonic85

time to start stockpiling - im off to the shops

Silverfish

Pookah wrote: »

If there's not enough chocolate here on Earth, we may have to go on a mission to Mars.

Dunno, plenty of chocolate in Uranus!


:pac::pac:

Pookah

Pookah wrote: »

If there's not enough chocolate here on Earth, we may have to go on a mission to Mars.

Snickers

Pookah

Silverfish wrote: »

Dunno, plenty of chocolate in Uranus!


:pac::pac:

Smartass.

tolosenc

Pookah wrote: »

If there's not enough chocolate here on Earth, we may have to go on a mission to Mars.

Milky Way, Galaxy... So many puns, so little time...

Pookah

Pookah wrote: »

Smartass.

Just don't ask him for chocolate starfish!

foxinsox

Pookah wrote: »

Smartass.

Smartie ass?

Donkey Oaty

Small-scale growers earn just 80 cents a day

At least they have a job.

Some of us are just Drifters

Donkey Oaty

“It will become so rare and so expensive that the average, Joe, just won't be able to afford it.”

Fixed quote with commas to make it more Liveline-friendly.

Only smarties have the answer.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

Only smarties have the answer.

You're some funny bastard. You make this forum worth coming onto!

starbelgrade

It looks like we might have to start saving up to buy chocolate in the future.

Some things are worth the weight.

Overheal

Maybe if the department of agriculture didn't keep subsidizing food that doesn't really need to be subsidized... <insert rant>

Archeron

Score, I bought 4 terrys chocolate orange on the way home, half price at 2 euro each. Now I shall sell them on the black market. Let the bidding begin!!

Donkey Oaty

Archeron wrote: »

Score, I bought 4 terrys chocolate orange on the way home, half price at 2 euro each. Now I shall sell them on the black market. Let the bidding begin!!

How much for an eighth?