Oh nooo: chocolate is getting more expensive and the bars are getting smaller
Dramatic news for the chocoholics among us. We’re going to have to pay more for our favorite comfort food. And that’s not all: chocolate bars are also getting smaller. Could this Monday have started any worse?!
We were already fed up to the back teeth with that terrible inflation, which has now been going on for about two years. Everything we love costs more. From supermarket pizzas to a visit to our favorite restaurant or bar. And now chocolate. In 10 years, the price of cocoa has never been as high as it is now.
Setbacks in West Africa
The rise in cocoa prices is mainly due to the situation in West Africa, which produces around two-thirds of the world’s cocoa harvest. This region has faced quite a few setbacks recently. It has rained incredibly heavily and extensively in a short period of time, and there was also a disease that caused rot. The result: a huge amount of cocoa crops in Ghana and Ivory Coast have been destroyed. There’s no chocolate to be made from that.
Less cocoa bean processing
The situation in West Africa isn’t the only thing causing problems on the cocoa market. Cocoa bean processing also declined across the rest of the world. As a result, it has become much more difficult for manufacturers to obtain large quantities of cocoa. Via RTL Nieuws and BNR, we read that Lindt & Sprüngli and Hershey already issued a warning last week: higher prices for their bars are on the way. According to the director of Lindt & Sprüngli, this will probably apply to the entire cocoa industry.
Stock up on chocolate
There’s nothing we can do but accept the situation and hope that prices will start falling again as soon as possible. Because not eating chocolate is obviously not an option. It’s not for nothing that it has been scientifically proven that it’s hard to stay away from chocolate. So quickly stock up on some supplies. Perhaps a delicious milk chocolate and hazelnut bar from the supermarket?
Also read:
- Chocolate lovers, listen up: Brabant is getting a huge chocolate attraction
- The best chocolate chip cookies, step by step
- Bounty is the least favorite Celebrations chocolate
Sources: RTL Nieuws and BNR
