Chocolate producers and enthusiasts across Europe are experiencing the effects of reduced cocoa yields in West Africa, which are being driven by a viral infection and changing climatic conditions.
Oliver
Coppeneur, a chocolatier based in Bad Honnef, Germany, has been operating since the 1990s. Currently, however, he is facing difficulties because the cost of an essential component of his confections—cocoa—is increasing.
He was forced to increase the prices of his chocolates last year, just as many other chocolate makers did worldwide.
At the close of 2024, prices for cocoa surged dramatically on the international market, almost doubling from what they were the prior year. This steep rise is exerting considerable strain on the worldwide chocolate sector, impacting producers, buyers, and cocoa growers alike.
Oliver Coppeneur informed LIFEHACK about the recent spike in cocoa costs.
will render “chocolate products equally expensive,” potentially leading to a “substantial decline in sales volumes” within the market.
So far, though, he says they’re managing without reducing staff and aim to maintain their pricing strategies.
his chocolates stable.
What factors have caused the price of cocoa to increase so rapidly?
Approximately 65% of the globe’s cocoa beans originate from four nations in Western Africa.
Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon.
The primary cause behind the recent surge in cocoa prices is an extensive scarcity of cocoa beans.
In 2024, a devastating harvest affected plantations across West Africa due to the cocoa swollen shoot virus (CSSV). This virus propagates from one tree to another and has the potential to cut crop yields by half within merely two years.
A report from the International Cocoa Organization indicated that 81% of farms in Ghana were part of the plantation sector.
—
the globe’s second-biggest cocoa producer following Ivory Coast
—
has been infected with CSSV. Since the virus is also circulating in the Ivory Coast, approximately 60% of global cocoa production is impacted.
Furthermore, an American non-profit organization focused on media
According to Climate Central, “the occurrence of higher temperatures is becoming more common” due to climate change in regions like Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, and Nigeria.
Research from the science organization based in Princeton, New Jersey, indicates that temperatures exceeding 32°C (90°F) might decrease both the quality and yield of crops, suggesting that extreme warmth could have negative consequences for key areas where cocoa is cultivated.
Moreover, the El Niño weather pattern caused a more humid rainy season than usual in Western Africa last year, which diminished cocoa yields.
Elevated costs, coupled with even greater earnings.
Citing official government data, news agency Bloomberg has reported that “at least a dozen family-owned chocolatiers have
shut down throughout Europe” in 2024.
In 2024, German sweets sellers Arko, Hussel, and Eilles sought bankruptcy protection.
Meanwhile, the cocoa shortage
is also directly impacting European consumers, as chocolate prices have increased by 35% since 2020.
But Friedel Hütz-Adams,
a research fellow at the SÜDWIND Institute located in Bonn, Germany
stated that European chocolate producers have typically managed to transfer increasing cocoa costs to consumers.
Their consistent profitability last year suggests that at least the major corporations have successfully navigated through the challenges posed by high prices… and in certain cases,
“Even managed to secure higher profits compared to previous levels,” he informed LIFEHACK.
In January, Swiss chocolate producer Lindt & Sprüngli Group stated they experienced a difficult year marked by unprecedentedly high cocoa prices, significant price hikes, and diminished consumer confidence. They also mentioned that to counterbalance the elevated cost of cocoa, they needed to “revise their pricing,” a step they anticipated would be necessary again for the current year as well.
Sweet treats future cost
Clay Gordon, t
he creator of TheChocolateLife
— an online
Community for “chocolate enthusiasts and those who aspire to be” stated in an email communiqué:
He notes that chocolate has traditionally remained resilient during economic downturns.
claims
On the platform’s webpage that
“p
People purchase chocolate to bring themselves joy.
Friedel Hütz-Adams of SÜDWIND concurs, and stated
that current ”
relatively stable sales” are an indication that “customers are able to cope with the higher prices and continue to buy chocolate.”
However, he pointed out that for many years, most farmers in West Africa have “had almost no resources to adopt proper farming techniques,” resulting in a decrease in crop production per hectare.
He mentioned that persistently low cocoa prices in previous years resulted in workers frequently going unpaid.
widespread child labor.
“Huge human rights abuses are frequent and might lessen over time because of increased costs,” Hütz-Adams noted additionally.
Chocolatier Oliver Coppeneur similarly believes that
The cost of cocoa has remained unusually low for many years, preventing farmers from having the means to increase their production.
Similar to other sector specialists, he cautions that failing to invest in increased productivity and climate-resilient varieties of cocoa will likely result in unavoidable fluctuations in chocolate prices down the road.
Coppeneur stated, “The coming generations of farmers must question whether they wish to pursue this profession and remain on their farms.” He further noted that if chocolate businesses do not support cocoa farmers, then it should come as no surprise when future generations lack anyone willing to work in agriculture.
Edited by: Uwe Hessler
Author: Chi-Hui Lin, Amy StockdaleappendChild
