Chocolate Fashion May Become a True Luxury Amid Projected Chocolate Shortages
A look from the Chocolate Fashion Show at New York City's annual Chocolate Show could truly be considered luxury fashion in a matter of years.
New York City’s 13th Annual Chocolate Show kicked off yesterday at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea with a Chocolate Fashion Show that showcased wearable designs that demonstrated a bit more artistry than you’d normally associate with body chocolate. {CBS News}
The 65 chocolate companies showcasing their creations specialize in the type of chocolate which will probably set you back further than your average Hershey bar, but in a matter of years, their offerings could be significantly more expensive due to projected chocolate shortages.
John Mason, of the Nature Conservation Research Council says that chocolate could be the new caviar in 20 years. {the Independent}
The reason? Simply, chocolate demand is outpacing cocoa production and supply. Part of the reason for the shortage in supply is attributed to trade practices that make cocoa an unprofitable crop for farmers who make less than $1 a day for their efforts, and end up with nutrient depleted soil to boot.
Among potential cocoa farmers in the Ivory Coast – one of the world’s leading cocoa producers, many are taking their chances in cities where better paying jobs exist. Those who stick with farming are switching to rubber, which has more stable prices for farmers. While some chocolate companies are going for fair trade practices that pay farmers more, and help to make cocoa production more sustainable, others are taking a scientific approach to make trees less susceptible to fungi and offer better returns. {Atlantic Wire} Cocoa prices in August hit a 30-year high, so either way chocolate lovers may have to get used to higher prices or less expensive susbstitutes.
Like that Hershey bar, which abandoned cocoa butter in 2008 and lost the right to legally wear the chocolate label.
