Chocolate ‘crisis’ hits NJ before Easter

Truffles, peanut butter cups and smooth, buttery fudge: Hold on to your confections, North Jersey, because – with cocoa prices reaching a historic high – we soon may be losing them all.

That’s right, dessert lovers: Chocolate is officially endangered.

After two major African cocoa plants, which produce 60% of the world’s supply, stopped processing – and with changing weather stunting the growth of cacao beans – the globe has begun a descent into an international chocolate catastrophe.

“It is confirmed,” said Julia Choi-Rodriguez, cofounder of Vesta Chocolate in Montclair. “We are in an international crisis. We are at a point right now where we can’t even buy the beans yet, so the price of chocolate and cacao will go up – at least by the end of this year.”

The shortage of cocoa affects local chocolatiers, like Choi-Rodriguez, because they are unable to get the ingredients necessary to produce their treats.

Another Jersey chocolate maker, Christine O’Brian, co-owner of David Bradley Chocolatier, weighed in on the situation.

“This feels like the calm before the storm,” she said. “We have all been scrambling to buy all the chocolate on hand – but there isn’t even any chance to buy. The prices they are charging is absurd. It makes me want to cry.”

And what that means for the consumer? A ripple effect of eating (literally) those prices.

The worldwide chocolate shortage comes on the heels of “changing weather” issues that “have threatened cocoa tree health and production,” said a report by Wells Fargo.

The phenomenon has caused major processing plants in Ghana and Ivory Coast to be unable to source their beans.

Local chocolatiers, then – whether they’re in search of the cacao bean (like Vesta) or the cocoa from the processing plants – can’t fulfill their supply needs.

To counter that diminishing supply, the market would need to see a massive cut in demand – but on the eve of Easter?

That’s unlikely to happen.

Jersey companies, however, will continue to produce for the holiday.

“It’s very tough, going into Easter,” O’Brian said. “The suppliers are suddenly breaking all of the contracts, and when you’re a small business – turning around and giving that cost to your customer? You can’t. So we didn’t. We’re going to have to eat that cost.”

Luckily, most of O’Brian’s Easter candies were already made.

“But when we hit Mother’s Day,” she continued, “it’s all going to explode.”

Choi-Rodriguez agreed, saying Vesta will “work with what we have” for the upcoming holiday, but “later, we’ll see a price increase.”

The takeaway

So parents? Don’t worry – it won’t cost you $200 to fill your child’s Easter basket.

But kids? Freeze those Cadbury Eggs. They’re about to become a hot commodity.