Experts have warned chocolate lovers that it’s going to get even more expensive ahead of Easter.
This is due to unsustainability of cocoa production worldwide, said by Professor David Guest who is an expert on the cocoa plant at the University of Sydney.
He said the production of cocoa – the main ingredient of chocolate – is under severe global pressure from climate change, plant disease, farmer poverty and unsustainable agricultural practices.
He said the average price over the past few years has been about $US2500 a tonne but today it is about $US8500.
Professor Guest said if the chocolate industry doesn’t rapidly address farmer poverty and discover solutions to climate change will lead to a global shortage of cocoa and ongoing high prices of chocolate.
Last year before Christmas Cocoa prices jumped by more than 21 per cent amid widespread flooding in some of the world’s main growing regions.
The high demand and supply deficit has resulted in cocoa trading at its highest level in four decades.