Chocolate makers are thinking of different helpful strategies that can remedy the situation such as upping the amount of nuts, fillers, or any other ingredients just to bulk out chocolate candies.

The reasons behind this demand are said to be the rise in the popularity of cocoa in China, the spread of awareness about the many health benefits of chocolate, and the constant and rising demand for dark chocolate.

According to the editor of trade publication Kennedy’s Confection, Angus Kennedy, the impending scarcity was the main subject in a recent industry summit. Also, he said that chocolatiers may opt for chocolate flavor substitutes that “don’t melt in your mouth.”

It has been predicted earlier this year that there is going to be a shortage of  ‘certified’ cocoa or ethically farmed beans, since there has been issues these days about the sustainability of non-certified beans. “Now we are saying it doesn’t matter what you call it – there’s not enough.” said Kennedy.

Cocoa bean experts are predicting a huge scarcity over the next eight years. As a matter of fact, they said we will be about a million tons short. According to these experts, a humongous–sized farm should be cultivated to satisfy demand.

In recent times, chocolate consumers have been raving about dark chocolate and all its benefits such as lowering blood pressure and its association with preventing certain heart disease. Chocolate manufacturers have been encouraging this trend as dark chocolate is a profitable product.

All we can do now is just enjoy the chocolate that we currently have and just hope for the best.

Chemistry is essential for our future and an improved quality standard of living for everyone. 

What does this have to do with chocolate?

Some research institutions are going to focus on chocolate chemistry as a way to help identify a way to continue sustainable cacao farming, generate new information on the health benefits of chocolate, and bring an enthusiasm for chocolate into everyday life.

I think we should petition the IUPAC and UNESCO to subtitle it the International Year of Chocolate 2011!  Or maybe we can push to get our own year in the future.

Back in October of 2010, I wrote in my blog about the introduction of a limited edition of Scharffen Berger 72% Vietnamese single-origin chocolate bar.

Now, a Belgian chocolate manufacturer has launched the first ever, 100% Vietnamese chocolate available for wholesale, a new business-to-business operation.

Vietnam is new to cacao production.  Plantations have had many setbacks over the years, but since 2005 the production has increased. 

The recipients of the bulk chocolate will be from the bakery, ice cream, and confectionery industries.

The single source Vietnamese chocolate comes in a 70% cocoa content formulation.  It is said to have the following flavor attributes: fruity and spicy, with citrus and cinnamon notes.

The availability of Vietnamese cocoa beans is still pretty scarce, but more is expected as companies heavily invest in Vietnam production.

Although everything is still in the early stages, experts predict expansion is in the works.

The future is very promising for cacao in Vietnam!

It is being speculated that many thousands of metric tons of cocoa beans have been smuggled to Ghana from Ivory Coast since the harvest began in October.  

I recently read a Bloomberg article updating the situation in the Ivory Coast.  To jog your memory, a recent blog post of mine titled, Two Presidents of Ivory Coast, introduced the political situation in the largest cacao producing African country of Ivory Coast.

Laurent Gbagbo has still refused to give up power to Alassane Ouattara, who was named winner after a November election and has support from the U.S., United Nations, and the European Union.  Gbagbo has the backing of the military and continues to acknowledge himself as the winner.

Difficulties transporting cacao from the interior of Ivory Coast to its ports raises the cost for the farmer and bites into their already too small profits.  With prices for beans higher in Ghana, Ivory Coast farmers are attracted to smuggling their product.

At the moment, the Ghana Cocoa Board is denying that there is an increase in smuggling.  But if it is true, the board will have their hands full fighting a major quality control problem and trying to keep the Ghana bean origins authentic. 

Here’s the Bloomberg article if you’d like more details:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-23/ivory-coast-cocoa-smuggled-into-ghana-as-political-crisis-hampers-industry.html

The program is based on a partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Cocoa Foundation.  The organizations invest in cacao research and distribute cacao tree seedlings to farmers in order to grow more disease resistant and higher crop-yielding trees.

Mars works with farmers in the West African county of Ghana.  On December 17, Mars received the Secretary of State’s Award for Corporate Excellence for their support to these farmers.  Mars efforts are giving them a chance to go to school and learn about improving their cacao crops.

Mars’ goals are to provide sustainable farm practices to increase productivity while taking care of the environment.

It’s a win-win for everybody in that future generations will have a cocoa supply for many years to come.

On December 4, 2010, both the incumbent and the challenger took the oath of office as president.

Laurent Gbagbo, the incumbent, was declared the winner by the Constitutional Council after rejecting the Electoral Commission’s vote count from the November 28 election.  Gbagbo’s opponent, Alassane Ouattara, allegedly won the vote on that day but is accused of rigging the results in the northern states.

Ivory Coast is the world’s leading cacao producer, and cocoa purchasers speculate that borders could close and exports could be disrupted because of these political issues.  This impasse could have a negative impact on their economy since cocoa is almost one third of the country’s gross domestic product.

The current situation has the potential to escalate into violence, and that may force small cocoa traders to stop their operations.

Peace mediator, former South African President Thabo Mbeki, has been trying to reach an agreement between the two “presidents.” 

I hope both Peace and Chocolate come out winners.

The owners of the company fell in love with chocolate while running a restaurant and serving homemade chocolate ice cream.  In 2007, they began making dark chocolates from their native Fiji cacao.

The British brought Trinitario cacao beans to the islands in 1880, planting the original variety on Vanua Levu. For a while, cacao farmers in Fiji thrived but when other crops, like cassava and taro, became more profitable, cacao was abandoned.  The forgotten cacao trees are still there, but have been hidden among the overgrown rain forest.

Adi Chocolate Fiji has worked hard to restore cacao farming.  With a lot of back breaking hard work and the help of mother nature, cacao trees are coming back to life.

Processing chocolate has its challenges on the island.  Road conditions sometimes prevent getting the harvested cacao to market.  Heavy rains and hurricanes damage trees and cause mud slides, delaying the fermentation and drying stages.  Still, the farmers and Adi company manage to turn about 60 kg of beans into chocolate every 2 weeks.

German and Australian agriculture scientists have discovered the amphibian predator is eliminating a nasty pest to cocoa, the yellow crazy ant (Anoplolepis gracilipes).

The yellow crazy ants got their name from their color and their zigzag scurrying behavior.  They are a non-native, invasive insect that can bring devastation to cacao crops.  They nest in large supercolonies and have super appetites, too.

Up until now, it’s been the native ants role to help keep cacao protected from certain pests and diseases, but the yellow crazy ant has pushed out the native ant species and disrupted the delicate balance within the ecosystem. 

Here is where our super hero comes in.  Every three months or so, Sulawesian toads leave their home in the forest and march through the cacao plantations to breed in the water of near by rice fields.

As they come through the cacao farms, they feast on yellow crazy ants and researchers say they can deplete a crazy ant population by one third.  The toads prefer the invader ants over the indigenous ones.

Many farmers will be trained to encourage the use of toads as free pest-control agents all year round.

Go toads!

There are some exceptions to this system, but general speaking this is how the cocoa market categorizes cocoa beans.

The percentage of flavor beans in the total world production of cocoa beans is only around 5% per year.  Virtually all the cocoa harvested is classified as bulk cocoa.

A pure Criollo variety is rare these days but was the major variety in the 18th century.

Trinitario variety is considered to be a cross between Criollo and Forastero.  Trinitario planting started in the country of Trinidad and then spread to Venezuela, Ecuador, Cameroon, Samoa, Sri Lanka, Java and Papua New Guinea.

Some companies are dedicated to restore more Criollo and Trinitario growing farms.  Xoco Fine Cocoa Company of Nicaragua is one such entity. 

Xoxo’s mission is produce a high quality flavor, consistent flavor bean, bringing back a genotype from superior Criollo/Trinitario varieties.

Just in case you haven’t guessed the obvious… I enjoy eating chocolate, and I want chocolate to continue to be part of my world!

According to the International Cocoa Organization, 2.5 million farmers produce almost 90 percent of the world’s cocoa on about 5-10 acres. Most of the world’s cacao is grown on the small family owned farm.  The best chocolate comes from shade grown cacao managed by farmers using small-scale, low-impact techniques. 

There are still large, old style cocoa plantations in business.  Cacao trees grow best in shade, but on a plantation they grow row upon row in full sun like an orchard.  This practice results in the trees becoming stressed, more susceptible to disease and the soil more quickly depleted of nutrients.   It is a large-scale, chemically intensive operation.

On this Earth Day, I am reminded to support the protection of our agricultural ecosystems as well as our fair trade economic systems.

I recently enjoyed a Divine Dark Chocolate 70%.  Check out the Divine Dark Delights Gift Box at www.divinechocolateusa.com.  Divine dark chocolate has a robust cocoa flavor with hints of fruit and earth and a smooth non-bitter aftertaste.  That is heavenly!

Sweeter still was the warm fuzzy feeling I got from supporting the farmer-owned cooperative, Kuapa Kokoo, and their commitment to keeping chocolate around for a good long time.