"I cudda waited for news like this"
Posted on 11/11/2010 5:38:57 AM PST by markomalley
Experts say the world could be running out of chocolate.
The economics of cocoa cultivation make chocolate production a labor and time-intensive process. Much of the world's cocoa comes from West Africa, but farmers there say they just don't have the incentives to keep growing the crop. The process takes up to five years per plant and many farmers can say they can earn more with other crops.
The price of chocolate rose to a three-decade high in August. "In 20 years chocolate will be like caviar," John Mason, executive director of the Ghana-based Nature Conservation Research Council, told Britain's Independent.
If that happens- chocolate will still be available but expect to find low-quality options or chocolate substitutes like carob.
A price spike in 2008 caused Hershey to change some of it's recipes to a point that some of its candies couldn't even be legally called chocolate.
If the price of chocolate goes up, market forces will make it worth growing cocoa beans again.
Sheer horror!
One of the advantages of being a guy - chocolate is just another food.
"I cudda waited for news like this"
There is, on the other hand, a long term threat to chocolate ~ two different diseases are killing off the plants. The farmers are not replanting because the plants will simply die.
Someone has come up with the idea that they can use cacao problems to peddle yet more propaganda against "organic fuels".
No doubt modern chemistry will toss up a reasonable substitute or a solution to the spread of the disease killing the plants.
My wife will riot!
The story is probably true about the trades, but the motive is wrong. There are three fungal diseases slowly destroying cacao plants worldwide. A government agency many here at Free Republic have demanded be abolished has studied the matter in depth since chocolate is such an important part of our processed foods industry employing millions of people ~ see: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/ar/archive/nov99/cacao1199.htm
I saw this last night and told my husband to buy big on cocoa when he goes to the grocery the next time. My bunker will have cocoa if nothing else.
COCOA not GOLD!
Stop! You are making sense! That is not allowed in our sophisticated, socialist modern culture!
As long as we don’t run out of Taliban dope.
America can live without Chocolate , but we need that Taliban and Mexican dope to keep us going.
(Sarcasm in case you missed it.)
It'll never happen.
You heard it here first.
Rioting in the streets of Wisconsin?
:-)
I daresay someone better get on this. Imagine, millions of hormonal women without chocolate. There will be h3ll to pay... I always said the best way to end a war is to send some really well armed, hormonal ticked off women in and let nature take its course. There will be peace and quiet!
Best not tell my husband..he’s a bigger chocoholic than I am.
It’s not just women. How will Glenn Beck face Soros’ New World Order without his M & M’s?
Michelle was gonna have it outlawed anyway.
…but not for her…
Financial crisis in 2008 - I've been able to handle so far
Marxists running the White House and Congress - I've been able to handle so far
Federal Reserve destroying my 401K by debasing the dollar ultimately collapsing it - I've been able to handle so far
but the world running out of chocolate? - BY GAWD IT'S TIME TO GO POSTAL AND RIOT !!!
I will riot!
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