Today, on World Chocolate Day, Wikus Engelbrecht from ProVeg South Africa talks about why it’s important for chocolate makers to use sustainable methods. He says it’s key to keep chocolate affordable and protect the environment.
Whether you love it dark or sweet, shaped in a bar or in liquid format; it all started in Latin America. Chocolate’s 4 000-year history began in present day Mexico, where the first cacao plants were found.
The Olmec people, one of that region’s earliest civilisations, were the first to turn the cacao plant into chocolate. The Mayans even used it as a currency.
Throughout much of its history however chocolate was a bitter beverage and considered a food rather than a drink, sacred and ceremonial; not the sweet candies or decadent truffles that we’re familiar with today.
Fast-forward to the Columbian Exchange in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Europeans quickly developed a taste for chocolate, which soon evolved into a universally cherished confection. Caloric guilt be damned, we consume it with vigour.
Presently the mighty cocoa bean reigns supreme at a global market value of USD 421 billion.
Chocoholics won’t be surprised to learn that their compulsive treat has a higher estimated annual financial turnover than the worldwide illicit drug trade, at around USD 400 billion; a revealing indicator of our dependency.
The sensual delight triggered by a mouthful of chocolate is familiar to all; releasing chemicals such as endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin in the brain – all associated with happiness and pleasure.
World Chocolate Day is celebrated on 7 July, marking the date chocolate was introduced to Europe by explorers returning from the Americas in 1550. This day is dedicated to appreciation and indulgence of the mahogany sensation in all its glorious and countless forms. It’s hard to imagine the world, our food system or supermarket shelves without it.
Higher cocoa costs
To the general public, increases in the prices of chocolate are as alarming as higher fuel rates, and this year sticker-shock at the checkout aisle has been growing due to a global supply shortage and a lack of investment in farms.
Chocolate brands are grappling with the impact of higher cocoa costs, resulting in price hikes and “shrinkflation”.
You may have noticed some bunny-bashing hysteria during the Easter period as consumers took to social media to complain about unprecedented costs. Skyrocketing in recent months, cocoa reached historical highs of nearly USD 10,000 per metric ton in March 2024.
Climate change-induced drought has ravaged crops in West Africa, which contributes around 80 percent of the world’s cocoa output. According to the International Cocoa Organisation, global cocoa supply will decline by almost 11 percent over the next season.
The impact of higher cocoa costs means that manufacturers are passing on the burden to consumers in the form of price hikes. To reduce operations costs some companies are responding with recipes that call for less cocoa – for instance, chocolate bars containing a higher proportion of fruits and nuts – while others are reducing the size of their products, though not necessarily the sales price. The cocoa market is currently not a confectioner’s comfort zone.
Crop failures have driven a three-year shortage. and for now the high costs are hurting processors, with factories in West Africa slowing or shutting down.
Changes in global climate patterns as El Niño gradually weakens could however be supportive of crop yields in countries like Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, paving the way for cocoa prices to ease off the historic highs in the mid to long term.
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Shift towards organic alternatives
Cocoa-growing countries fall primarily between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer, which covers large swathes of both Africa and South America. Despite contributing only 4 percent of global carbon emissions Africa is predicted to suffer a disproportionately large impact due to climate change; experiencing higher temperatures, changing rainfall patterns and droughts; all feeding into harvest shortfalls.
Animal agriculture is a leading cause of human-caused climate change, soil erosion, water pollution, deforestation and the decrease in biodiversity. There is consistent evidence that diets high in plant-based foods and lower in animal products are less damaging to the climate.
Studies suggest that personal food-related carbon footprints could be halved with the adoption of a plant-rich diet, and that if everyone adopted a vegan diet, worldwide food-related greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced by up to 70 percent by 2050.
Our food consumption habits are a major determinant of the volatility of climate change, and whether its effects can be diminished or reversed.
Plant-based eating is a realistic pathway to keeping chocolate production sustainable and affordable as a trade-off with other lifestyle preferences. Cacao or beef? You may have to choose, or be prepared to pay a premium.
From its ancient roots, chocolate is still being shaped and reiterated by today’s trends and tastes. A rising awareness regarding the adverse impacts of synthetic products on health and the environment has led health-conscious consumers to shift towards organic alternatives and there is an increasing desire for vegan, sugar-free, diabetic-friendly and gluten-free options.
Non-dairy items are just as velvety smooth as any other chocolate, and ProVeg South Africa has identified 171 vegan chocolates available on the South African market for the plant-keen and plant-curious cacao connoisseur.
- Wikus Engelbrecht is the communications manager for ProVeg South Africa. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Food For Mzansi.
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