A Global Chocolate Shortage By 2020?

When I read about this, and by the way, it's not as bad as it sounds, I immediately thought of a scene from season 4 of The Walking Dead. I've noticed during the zombie apocalypse in the series, you don't see a lot of chocolate, but last season, one character (I won't spoil who) indulged in a giant can of chocolate pudding he found while searching for food. Here's what we know.

Supply is the biggest issue and guess where 70 percent of the world's cocoa is produced? West Africa, specifically the Ivory Coast and Ghana. Dry weather and a fungal disease called frosty pod has wiped out 30 to 40 percent of the cocoa production. According to two big candy makers, Mars Inc. and Barry Callebaut, by the year 2020, 1 million metric tons will be consumed more than produced and the deficit could increase to 2 million by 2030.

For the past 10 years, China's demand for chocolate has increased the most and China is the world's most populated country. Another interesting fact and I didn't know this, dark chocolate contains a higher volume of cocoa, 70 percent compared to about 10 percent in the average chocolate bar.

I think this wins for one of the most bizarre, if not oddly timed, stories of the week. The holidays are ALL about sweet treats, and many chocolate varieties. If I'm ever forced to sacrifice those peanut butter cookies with Hershey's Kisses in the center, I'm taking a plane, and I've vowed to never fly, to Belgium and stock up. These are times when I wish Willy Wonka was real; he would never let the world run out of chocolate.

Just remember, 2020, is less than SIX YEARS away.