Start Stockpiling: Devastating Chocolate Virus Killing Sweet Supply
Start Stockpiling: Devastating Chocolate Virus Killing Sweet Supply
Brace yourselves for a bittersweet reality check because chocolate is trouble.
Move over COVID-19, there’s a new viral villain in town, and it’s killing cacao trees in West Africa, the birthplace of over half the world’s chocolate.
Willy Wonka would be HORRIFIED.
CSSVD, short for cacao swollen shoot virus disease, is the culprit behind this cocoa crisis.
It’s spread by pesky mealybugs chomping on cacao trees. And this disease is causing some serious damage.
The symptoms? Swelling stems, roots resembling balloons, and leaves sporting angry red veins.
(Sounds like something you get in college. ANYWAY.)
We’re not sure if the plants are losing their sense of smell and taste, but we’re having a tough time digesting this news.
Hold onto your cocoa beans because the numbers don’t lie.
Ghana’s already seen harvest losses of 15% to 20%, with a staggering 254 million cacao trees wiped out in recent years.
That’s a lot of wasted “WatchamaCallits” lost in the mix.
Battling this virus is no cakewalk, especially since those mealybugs have developed a resistance to pesticides.
Is there are vaccine for the chocolate virus?
Yes. Scientists are rolling up their sleeves and vaccinating cacao crops against CSSVD.
However, there’s a catch—the cost. These vaccines don’t come cheap, and many farmers are struggling to foot the bill on low wages.
Chocolate virus bottom line:
Will our chocolate fix be impacted? According to experts, the answer is yes.
Brace yourselves for potential shortages as this virus threatens to throw a wrench in our sweet supply chain.
The New York Post isn’t sugarcoating it either, urging us to stock up while we still can.
Climate change is already playing its part, causing (willy?) wonky weather and poor harvests, driving up chocolate prices even further. With some cocoa processors struggling to afford beans, the chocolate industry is facing a double whammy of challenges.
So, what’s a chocoholic to do?
Stockpile your favorite bars while you can.
The Fine Nine Desserts Americans Crave Moist, I mean the Most!
9. Brownies, 17%.
Who doesn’t like a brownie? For me, I prefer mine walnuts in mine, unfortunately my wife hates them with walnuts.8. Candy, 21%.
Candy for dessert? No thanks, unless you’re a kid that has a sack full of Halloween candy that has to be eaten before mom and dad say “you’ve had enough”7. Pastries, 24%.
Love a pastry, and there are so many options for it. Not just for breakfast!6. Cupcakes, 32%.
(Photo by Roy Rochlin/Roy Rochlin)
Cupcakes are always a great dessert, they’re ready to eat, just take them out of their paper wrapper and enjoy!5. Muffins, 33%.
muffins
I usually think muffins are a breakfast food with coffee, but there is no reason they can’t be for dessert either.4. Donuts, 34%.
(Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for Sony Pictures Television/Spectrum Originals)
Again, donuts are usually something we have in the morning, but these days donuts are part of wedding receptions and parties, the donut board is a very popular attraction at any occasion.3. Pie, 34%.
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Gotta love the All American Pie! So many varieties to choose from, Apple, Blueberry, Cherry, Lemon and on and on….2. Cookies, 36%.
. (Photo by Johannes Simon/Getty Images)
We love our cookies, of course chocolate chip is always the number one cookie, but I can’t think of a bad cookie. Dip and dunk and enjoy!1. Cake. 42% said it's one of their favorite desserts.
Photo Joe Giddens – by WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Hard to argue with cake, because most of the time it is associated with a celebration of some sort, so you’re automatically happy, especially if you get to cut the cake!
