Chocolate makers are expected to raise prices this year due to higher costs of cocoa from exporters like
Hershey, the largest producer of chocolate products in
Meanwhile, chocolate makers like
"We've noticed the price of cocoa is going up these few years, especially organic cocoa. So, from the beginning to today, those five years, we can say the price has risen 20 percent," Mroueh said.
Demand for chocolate in America increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, and cocoa producers in
Experts say one reason is the impact of climate change.
Cocoa farmer
"Almost all of the young plants die in the high season. If you have not been able to get water to them, you have no cocoa," he said.
Kouassi receives government assistance in the form of cocoa trees, which are more resilient to the fluctuations of climate change, but he said government distributions happen at the wrong time of year for the saplings to survive.
"What we're seeing is that the onset of both dry and wet season can change. It's less reliable. During the season, there may be breaks in terms of rain during the dry season, or there's a dry spell during the wet season, and the overall distribution or amounts of rainfall they're receiving may change," Bunn said.
The data shows it may be better for farmers to stop producing cocoa and diversify into other crops, he said.
However, Olga Yenou, the CEO of an Ivorian company that supplies
"My opinion is that these farmers should have better prices, should earn more, because they work hard. Most are poor," Yenou said.
Her wish appears to be coming true. As climate change continues to bite, prices continue to surge.
Copyright Voice of America. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com)., source